Frayed
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Fixing what's broken is easy. Mending what is frayed is a whole other story...
1. Chapter 1

Frayed

Chapter 1

"Do you have a gun?"

Frowning, Fang shook his head. "No. Why?"

"For my homework," Ethan said, not looking up from the paper. "How come?"

"How come what?"

"You ain't got one."

"I don't need one."

"Ryan does."

"What are you talking about?"

The boy kept nodding. "I asked my teacher if I had to ask both my parents, seeing how you guys don't live together. She said sure. Course, she always tells me sure. I think that she likes me better than everyone else. Like this one time, I fell off the slide at recess-"

"Stay on topic, Ethan."

"Anyways, I asked Mom and she said that Ryan has one." Ethan finally turned to look at his father. "Does that mean that you're tougher than him and don't have to have one?"

Staring at the first grader, Fang said yes. Of course. He was still at the age where your father was the strongest persona in the world. And wasn't Fang? If it wasn't for him, the world wouldn't be here. Ethan was one of the few kids who could have his father as a hero and it actually be true.

"What are you doing with your homework anyways? I don't see how it's your teacher's business if I have a gun or not."

"We're learning about gun safety."

"You know not to touch one, right? What other safety do you need?"

"I dunno….Guess what I did yesterday!"

"What?" Fang asked, holding in a sigh. His youngest could talk forever. Most of the time he just tuned it all out. Today was no exception. It was about twenty minutes later that his other son walked in.

"Did you know that it was snowing?"

Fang nodded. "You didn't walk, did you?"

"Yeah."

"From school?"

"Yeah."

"Why? You should have called me. I would have picked you up. Why didn't your mom or her boyfriend?"

"I don't know."

"Next time you call me."

"I can't," he said as he shook the snow off him.

"Why not?"

"That stupid jerk took my phone."

"Who? One of your teachers?"

"No. Ryan."

"What? Why?"

"Heck if I know," Bruce said as he took off his coat. "I'm passing all my classes, so I don't see why I can't have it."

"I'll get you a new one," Fang said, frowning. Stupid jackass taking stuff from his kids. "What do you guys want to do tonight? Can't go anywhere. It's snowing too much."

"Can we watch a movie?" Ethan jumped up. "I brought one with me."

"What is it?" Fang asked, glancing at Bruce. Most of Ethan's movies were stuff that no one older than eight would be interested in.

"Toy Story!"

"You always watch that," his brother complained.

"I know. We like it. Huh, Dad?"

"Yeah, but…let's watch something different, okay?"

The youngest boy's face fell. "How come?"

"Because…we'll watch it later, alright?"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay."

Bruce shook his head before walking off further into the apartment. His dad was so weak.

* * *

><p>By eleven, both of his sons had fallen asleep. Toy story was only halfway through, but they both passed out. It had probably been a long week for them.<p>

Slowly, as not to wake Ethan, who was sleeping against him, Fang stood up and laid the boy back on the couch. After covering him over with a blanket, he looked over at Bruce, who was in the chair. Fang removed the coke can from his lap before going to turn off the TV and go to his room.

It hadn't always been like this. A year and a half ago, he would be at home, with Max, and happy. Now he got his boys every other weekend and every Thanksgiving. Max got Christmas. Ethan made a big deal that Halloween was an important holiday too, so Max let Fang have that one.

The boys seemed to like it this way too though. Every weekend they spent with Fang was a party. They stayed up late, at junk food, and just goofed off. Max said that Fang wasn't a good father. Both boys would beg to differ.

Sighing a little, Fang went to go stand on his porch. It was small and led to the fire escape, but Fang still liked to sit out on it. It was a pretty nice apartment. Ethan had fun helping him find one. Ethan always had fun. It killed Fang when Max kicked him out only to bring him back to break the news to the little boy. It wasn't fair. Ethan never got upset. He did that day.

The snow had died down. When Max and Fang first moved up north, he hated it. It reminded him of living in the E-shaped house and all the baggage that came with those memories. But he did it anyways. For Max. Everything he did was for Max. Why didn't she believe that?

Fang heard someone stirring inside. Turning his head to peak in through the sliding glass door, he saw Bruce was looking through freezer. He probably wanted ice cream. Fang always had ice cream, just for them. He didn't eat badly for the most part. Always worried about another threat to the world, he was a workout freak. On these weekends though, he'd eat anything and everything, just to be like his boys. That's all he wanted. To be good for them. And he was. Wasn't he?

Turning back to look at the cold night sky, Fang couldn't help, but to reach his hand into his jean pocket and feel around for the edge of the picture. It was a small picture, frayed and dirty after years of being moved for pants to pants by Fang, accidentally washed by Max a handful of times, and even once being thrown away by mistake. He dug it out of the trash though. He needed it.

Pulling it out from his pocket carefully, Fang stared at the photograph. It was from when Max and Fang were five and still in the School. Back then, before the School used video cameras to document everything, they would take pictures of their wings and other body parts for record keeping purposes.

That day, Max was in one of her bad moods even though Fang had been getting the brunt of the horrible treatments the past week. At that moment that would be caught in time forever by a camera, Max had her hands over her mouth, trying to hide the fact that she was laughing. At the same time, Jeb had told Fang to show him his arms and Fang, being his overly confident self, was flexing his arms, flaunting the muscles that only existed in his head.

Jeb had given the picture to Fang right after the world was saved. He gave Fang a lot of things. Money, being one of them. Told him it was dirty work, saving the world, that is. They had found Angel, only to lose Dylan. Fang would be lying to say that he was turn up over the other boy's death. Another casualty in a war that never should have been fought. Happens all the time. Max had been crushed by it, but she bounced back. Did Fang use her wounded state to his advantage? Sure, but who wouldn't?

The snow was starting again. Sighing, Fang stood up and went back inside. Bruce was gone from the living room, probably off to his own bedroom. Ethan was still on the couch, but Fang found it easier to just leave him instead of waking him up.

When he got to his bedroom, Fang sat the photo on the dresser, in between his bottles of Jack and Jameson. Today was Friday. Shot of Jack.

"For better tomorrows," he told the photo before turning in for the night. More like for a better life.

* * *

><p>"Dad?"<p>

"Hmmm?"

"Can Bruce make me breakfast?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Can we make eggs?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Thanks."

Fang opened his eyes slowly before sitting up. The weekends with his boys were the only days he let himself slack on waking up on time. Normally, he'd take a run, hit the gym, and still be back home to take a shower before work. These days though were lazy days. He didn't know which he preferred.

When he walked out of his room, he saw that his boys had been up for awhile. Long enough to make a mess of the place. Fang didn't care though. Not like anyone ever saw it.

He checked in on them in the kitchen before going into the bathroom. He took his time showering before going back out to take damage control on his kitchen. Not before stopping by his room for his photo though.

"Here, Dad, we made you some," Ethan said, handing him a plate before going to sit down in front of his own.

"Why are you eating in here, Ethan?"

"Bruce's watching CSI and I don't wanna. It's nasty."

"Yeah," Fang agreed as he sat down with his youngest. "Nasty."

After breakfast, they watched some more TV before deciding the play video games. After about an hour, Fang left them to their own devices and went into his bedroom for awhile. They thought that he was napping, but he was actually on his phone.

"Dude, I need some help."

The man on the other end sighed. "With what?"

"I haven't been laid in, like, five days. I have my kids this weekend, but the rest of my week's free."

"What happened to that chick?"

"Kendra? Broke up." Fang laid down on his bed. "I'm having a dry spell."

"A few days isn't a dry spell."

"It is for me."

"Got a steady girlfriend now, bro. I can't help you," Fred said. "Call someone else."

"You have to know some girls. Come on, double date. Monday."

"I can't."

Hanging up on him, Fang called around a few more times before finally just giving up. He'd have to find someone on his own.

"Dad? We're bored."

Groaning, he got out of bed to open his door. Ethan was standing their, his shoes on.

"I wanna go play outside."

"Bruce can take you."

"You too."

"Fine."

There was a park across the street from Fang's place. As they were walking over there, Bruce ran into some friends. Telling him to be home before dark, Fang let the thirteen year old go.

"I wish Bruce had stayed," Ethan said, running out ahead of Fang. He loved the snow. It made everything look magical in his eyes.

"We have all of tomorrow to spend with him. Besides, Ethan, at least we get to be alone. Just me and you."

"Yeah." He started smiling brightly again.

Fang followed behind him up and down the desolate park, half listening as the little boy rambled on about things Fang couldn't care less about. Sometimes he thinks that Ethan rambles because he knows that their time's limited. Two weeks without seeing your boy is hard. Especially when you know he's spending time around another guy.

"You hear me, Dad?"

"Huh?"

"You weren't listening."

"Was too."

Ethan stopped walking. "I said that I'mma be an astronaut when I get older."

"Is that what you're going to be?" Him and every other boy under ten.

"Yep. Or a racecar driver."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

When Ethan began to walk again, he slowed enough so that he was matching Fang's pace. Looking down at the boy who was now at his side, Fang smiled.

"What do you wanna do after this?"

"We never did get to finish Toy Story."

Fang held down a grimacing look. "No, I guess we didn't."

"Can we?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Good. Can we start it from the beginning?"

Shoot him in the head. "Is there any other way to watch it?"

Fist pumping the air victoriously, he then asked if they should wait for Bruce before they started it. Smiling a little, Fang said yes. It wouldn't be fair to make him miss out on it, would it?

* * *

><p>"But what if I don't wanna go home?"<p>

"You have to, Ethan," Fang said, not looking away from the road as he pulled up to his old house. The worse part of this all was Max kept the house. What a heartless person she was to sleep with another man in their bedroom, their bed. He could never do that. Mainly because he wasn't gay, but he couldn't with a woman either.

"Just shut up, okay?" Bruce jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped. "Your such a baby about everything."

"And? Baby's are cute."

Fang sighed. "Bye, Bruce."

"Yeah, bye."

He ran off into the house, slamming the door behind him.

"Why's he so mad?" Ethan asked.

Because he had to watch Toy Story.

"I don't know. You know how big kids are. Always so bratty."

"Yeah."

They sat there for a minute.

"You have to get out now, Ethan."

"Can't we go play at the park again? Or get ice cream?"

"It's too cold for ice cream."

"What about cookies?"

"Ethan-"

"Wanna come see my room?"

"I've seen your room."

"But I got a new…huge TV that's way bigger than yours."

"It's not good to lie."

"How do you know that I'm lying unless you come see?"

Getting out of the car, Fang immediately opened Ethan's door car door. "Ethan, come on. I have things to do."

"But can't you come in for just a minute?"

"You know that I can't."

"Can too."

"Why are you being so difficult? Huh?"

He always was. It didn't make sense to him why they all couldn't just get along and live together.

Fang unbuckled the boy's seat belt before slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Come on."

"No."

"You're really going to make me pick you up?" When he got no answer, Fang lifted his seven year old into his arms. "You're too old to be carried."

"Then take me home."

"You are home."

"Not home with you."

Walking up to the door, Fang shifted him to one arm before opening the door.

"Are you hurt?" Max asked as she came into the room. "What happened?"

"He's fine," Fang told her, though not looking at her. Not much to look at these days anyway. She was pregnant. With the spawn of Satan. Or at least that's what Bruce tells him.

"Then why are you carrying him?"

"Please?" Ethan looked up at Fang as he sat him down on the couch. "One more day. Please?"

Everyday, if Fang had things his way. Damn court systems. What makes Max more suited for taking care of kids than him? Because she had boobs and not balls?

"I can't. Besides, don't you wanna go watch your huge TV?"

Ethan blushed a little. "Maybe it's not that big."

"Maybe it's the one that I bought you."

"Maybe."

"Probably?"

"Yeah."

"Thought so."

Max was staring at him so hard that Fang couldn't help, but to look back at her. She turned her vision away from him immediately and he did the same. Instinctively, Fang reached into his pocket and touched his picture. He liked looking at that picture more anyways.

"I'll see you later, E-"

"No, Dad. You can stay and play. Right? You don't got nothing better to do, right?"

Picking his words carefully, he said, "Well, no."

"Then what?"

"Your mom wouldn't want me here."

Max made a face at him. She probably thought that he was putting this off on her. So what if he was? She always paints him to be the one that left and he lets her, if only to save a hope for reconciliation. Now that that's gone, he couldn't care less about her feelings.

Ethan turned to look at his mother. "You don't care? Huh?"

"Ethan, you spent the whole weekend with him," Max reasoned.

"And? I have to spend a week with Ryan. Can't I just stay with Dad for a week and see you on the weekend?"

Fang took that victory silently. Giving his son a little smile, he ruffled his brown hair. "It doesn't work that way. I'll call you before you go to bed."

"But-"

"I have to go now."

Ethan pushed up from the couch and ran off, not even looking back or saying goodbye.

"Nice, Fang."

Now he was kind of pissed. "What did I do?"

"You always get them so worked up," Max complained.

"I do that? Or the fact that your stupid boyfriend lives here does that?"

"Shut up. He's not even here right now."

All the better. Fang shook his head at her. "You did this, Max."

"What do you mean 'I did this'?"

"You made it to where I only get then once every two weeks. You know that you screwed me over and they do too. You get what you ask for."

"Just get out, Fang."

"You-"

"Now."

He cut his eyes at her before walking away. He always walked away. He never escalated fights. He never won them either. Max liked it that way. Who wouldn't?

* * *

><p>Mondays sucked. Bruce always said that he hated them because he had to go back to school. Fang hated them because they were the start of a week without his boys.<p>

Today, he had work. After that, the whole late afternoon and night were free. So, he worked out.

He was in the middle of his pushups when his phone went off. He let it go to voice mail, not wanting to end his afternoon work out so easily. After about the fifth time it rang, he couldn't take it.

"Hello?"

"What would you do if I said that I had a hundred dollars, no girlfriend, and am sitting at a bar right now?"

"I would ask who drove you."

Iggy laughed. "Touché."

"What are you doing in town? And why do you want to get me drunk?"

"For the hell of it." Iggy was still laughing. "I'm actually coming through on my way to New York."

"Again, I'll ask how."

"A buddy of mine and I are going to start a business, Fang. He's driving. And yes, he's can see. You wanna hear about the business?"

"Is it a pyramid scheme?"

"Are you interested in joining up?"

"Nope."

"Then yes, it is."

They talked for awhile before Fang hung up so that he could get ready to go out that night. He had deduced that the reason he had been in such a bad mood wasn't all Max's fault. He also hadn't had sex in a week. Tonight that would change. Not all aspects of being single were bad.

* * *

><p><strong>I know I said I was done with Maximum Ride, and I really did plan to be, but life sucked without it. I didn't realize how much time I spent writing. About a week after ending Eternity, I was already writing again. Life was so boring for that one week. This story was the only one out of all the ones I wrote first chapters to, and trust me, there were tons, that I'm going to keep working on. It may turn out to suck, but I like the idea of it. <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Frayed

Chapter 2

"What if I don't wanna go to school?"

"You still have to go," Max said, not looking up as Ethan came into the kitchen.

"Okay, but I just want you to know that I don't think I should have to go. Dad said that he didn't go to first grade and he's, like, the smartest person ever."

Ryan snorted, but Max just nodded. "I'm sure he is, Ethan, but you still need to go."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

He shrugged before sitting down at the table. Across from him, Ryan stared down at a bowl of cereal. When he felt the little boy's eyes on him, he looked up.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, still smiling.

"Stop staring at me."

"You're in front of me."

"See that, Max? I would have never said that to my father. You raised such disrespectful boys."

"I'm sure," she mumbled, still not looking away from the toaster. "Ethan, where's your brother?"

"He left."

"He walked?"

"Yep. Hey, Mom, did I tell you about the time that I fell off the slide and almost died? I thought that I was pretty brave, seeing as I didn't cry or nothing. My teacher said so too. But, she always agrees with me. I think she likes me more than the other kids. She-"

"Not now, Ethan," she mumbled, still waiting for the toast to pop up. "Did you brush your teeth?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes!"

The toast chose then to jump from the toaster, making Max too jump slightly. Rubbing her stomach, she grabbed a plate and put the two pieces on it.

"Here, Ethan."

He frowned slightly as she sat down the food in front of him. "Actually, Mom, I'm no longer in need of your breakfast."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Dad gave me ten dollars for whatever I wanted. I'm going to buy something from the vending machines."

"How nice of him," Max mused before walking off to go get her jacket. "Well, come on then. Ryan, you can have the toast."

"My father would have never let me not eat my food," he mumbled.

"I'm sure," Max said before going to the door. "Ethan, hurry."

After taking Ethan to school, Max went to the store before returning home. Ryan was gone. She didn't know where to. Sighing, she went to go sit down on the couch.

It was so quiet now that Ethan went to school. It wouldn't be once her next baby was born. She smiled a little as she rubbed her stomach even though it was forced. She wasn't sure who she was forcing it for, because she was alone. She was always alone now that Fang was gone.

It wasn't even like they fought a lot, her and Fang. They were pretty compatible. Plus, over time, both lost the desire for confrontation. Eventually though, things just build up and that's never good.

As much as she played like she hated him, if asked to make a list of the reasons that she hated Fang, it would be a relatively small list. One, he drank. A lot. He never got drunk bad, really, just…it annoyed her. Two, he refused to marry her.

She stayed on the couch for awhile before going to her room to nap. She was only asleep for what felt like minutes when something woke her up.

"Don't you ever answer your phone?"

Max kept her eyes closed. "It's in the other room."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

Ryan snorted. Max didn't like that.

"It's not like I would purposely ignore your call."

"Yeah, sure."

"Whatever."

Max wasn't really sure how her relationship with Ryan started. She always meant to let Fang move back in. It just…didn't happen. Maybe neither of them really wanted it to. Then she met Ryan and things just started.

To say the least, Fang wasn't happy with it. He made it known. Max didn't care though. He had hurt her and she was using Ryan to hurt him. Then she got pregnant…

"Ry?"

He was in the master bathroom now, doing something with the door open. She didn't feel like looking over to see what.

"What?"

"I was talking to Ethan-"

"How can you not? Kid won't shut up."

"Yeah, but he told me that he wants Fang to come over and play."

"Play what?"

"I don't know. Video games I guess."

"Max, I ain't about to let your ex-husband come into my house-"

"My house. And we never got married."

He snorted again. He did that a lot. "Regardless, no."

"Ethan just misses his dad, Ryan."

"And? He sees him all the time."

"Not enough. Fang doesn't think that-"

"Why are you talking to him, huh?"

"He's the father of my children-"

"So am I now, ain't I?"

She rolled her eyes. "That's different."

"How?"

"Fang and I are broken up. For good. If it doesn't have to do with our boys, we don't talk."

"You better not be."

She cuddled deeper into the bed. "My stomach hurts."

"It's because you're pregnant."

Fang would have offered to rub it for her.

"Oh."

When she was pregnant with Bruce, all he ever did was worry about her and the baby. Ryan was…different.

"You eat yet?" Ryan asked. "I'm going out. You wanna come?"

"No."

"You need to eat."

"You could bring me something back."

"I don't get why you just can't come."

"I told you, Ry, I don't feel good."

He shook his head before walking out of the bedroom. Max laid there for awhile, watching the wall. This time when her phone rang, she heard it. Getting out of bed, she went to the living room to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Max!"

She relaxed a little, leaning against the wall. "Hey, Ig. What's going on?"

"I'm in town for a few days and wanted to call you."

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, let me tell you something, Max. I'm in a fabulous business where I could make you millions! All you have to do is-"

"No pyramid schemes today, Ig. Please."

"Well then." He cleared his throat. "I guess we can talk about something else. How's life, Max? Mine's good. I would tell you about how much money I'm making with this new business venture, but you clearly don't care."

"Iggy."

"I'm just joking with you, Max."

"I know. I'm just kind of out of it today."

"Cheer up! Your pregnant, right? So much to be happy for."

"I'm sure."

"Yep. Wish I had a kid."

"I have one that you can take."

Iggy sighed a little. 'Bruce getting to you again?"

"Yeah. He's being a brat about Ryan."

"What about?"

"Just everything. He keeps saying that he wants to live with Fang."

Pausing, Iggy said, "He's getting older, Max."

"I know."

"He just wants to be with his father. I hear that boys like that, being with their dads. That's all. I'm sure it's nothing personal."

"Yeah, I know."

"You're his mom. It's not cool to be around you right now. Fang, though, is cool."

"That's not a new development."

Iggy laughed. "You're okay though, huh Max? Need something? I'll go out and get you whatever you need."

"Ig, I'm fine."

"Just…call me if you need anything. I'm here for awhile and want to make sure that you are taken care of."

"Ryan takes care of me, Iggy."

"I didn't mean it like that."

Yes, he did. "I have to go."

"Alright. See you later."

"Bye."

After hanging up, Max went to go sit down on the couch. Her feet hurt. Not to mention her head.

* * *

><p>"Yeah, you know, I'm pretty good at guitar."<p>

"Really?"

"Yep," Ethan said, nodding his head. "I'm amazing."

Max sighed before walking around Ethan and his friends to get back into the house. The second that she pulled up to the house, a group of little girls were waiting for him. Ethan was apparently popular now. How fun.

"Don't go past the green house," she reminded him of his boundary before going into the house. She decided not to mention to the girls that Ethan didn't know a lick of guitar, Bruce did.

"Max! You home now?"

"Yeah, Ry," she called out, going back to the couch.

"Your boy better get his butt in here now."

"Which one?"

"Bruce."

"He's not home yet." She sat up. "What happened?"

"His room looks like crap, that's what happened."

"He'll clean it when he gets home."

"Damn straight he will."

Lying back again, she agreed with Ryan, just to get him to shut up. She always just wanted him to shut up. He was such a complainer. Everything everyone did was wrong. You'd think that he was some amazing man, but he wasn't. He never would be. She'd seen how bad the world could be. A teenager not keeping his room in tiptop shape is far from the worst crime of humanity.

She must have fallen asleep because next thing she knew, yelling woke her up. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't see Bruce, but she could hear him loud and clear. Scrambling to her feet, Max went to go see what was wrong.

They were in Bruce's room. Ethan was there too, hands over his ears, standing next to his big brother. Bruce didn't have that sad look that Ethan did. He was angry and it showed.

Yelling right back at him was Ryan. He was clearly upset about something too. Max hated how they couldn't just all get along. It wouldn't be that hard to just ignore each other. It really wouldn't.

"What's wrong?" She asked as Ethan came to stand by her. She ran a hand down his head, while staring at Ryan. "Why are you bothering them?"

"Me? I told the kid to clean his room and he bugged out."

Max looked at Bruce, but he didn't offer up a different version of events.

"Bruce?"

"He's always in my stuff."

Her stomach hurt. "Don't you have work, Ryan?"

He shook his head at her. "You baby them. My father-"

"Yeah and my father tried to kill me. Just go to work."

Ryan walked away, running a hand down his girlfriend's arm before leaving the room. Ethan removed his hands from over his ears before speaking.

"Bruce?"

"What?" He snapped.

"…You think that you can teach me to play guitar in, like, ten minutes? I have a concert to get to."

* * *

><p>Ryan worked nights now. Max liked it that way. It made things easier.<p>

"Are you still awake?"

Bruce didn't move, but Max knew he was. Stepping over dirty clothes and old food wrappers, she made her way to his bed.

"Bruce, you know that this room is kind of dirty."

He still didn't answer her. Going to sit down edge of his bed, she winced a little when the baby kicked.

"Why can't he just leave?"

She looked down at Bruce. "He's my boyfriend."

"Dad's girlfriends don't all live with him."

"It's not a girlfriend if you have five at the same time."

Bruce smiled a little, his face being highlighted by the lava lamps' lights. There were three of them, sitting at different points in the room. Ethan liked them because it made Bruce's room look cool when all the lights were off. Fang got them for him. Fang got everything for him.

"Still. No one likes him. We all hate him."

"Bruce, he's my boyfriend."

"So was Dad."

"Now you're being annoying and childish. Your old enough to know that some things just don't work out, Bruce."

"I don't care if I'm being childish. It's not fair. I don't want to be in this house anymore. Why won't you just let me stay with Dad?"

Sometimes she wonders if he knows how much words hurt.

"Because I want you here."

"Don't you want me to be happy?"

Didn't he want to the same for her?

"Your father…you know what? Talk about it with him. You're a big boy. Make your own decisions. I give up." She stood and started for the door. Her hand was on the handle, when he called out her name.

"Mom?"

She paused. "What?"

"…Thank you."

When she got to Ethan's room, he too was up.

"You're supposed to be asleep."

He giggled as she turned off his TV. "I'm not tired, Mom."

"You should be."

"Wanna come lay down with me?"

Slowly, she went over to his bed and sat down. Ethan moved so that he could lay with his head in her lap.

"How'd your concert go?"

"I told the girls that I only play on major holidays. What's the next major holiday?"

"MLK day just passed, so I guess Valentines Day."

"Ew! That's a girl holiday!"

She started to run her hand down his head, smoothing out his hair. "Ethan?"

"What?"

"…Do you really want to go live with your dad?"

"Yes!"

"Oh."

"You can come too."

Sighing a little, she said, "You're funny."

He giggled. "Ryan can come too, if he has to. And the new baby. Wouldn't that be fun?"

No, it wouldn't.

"Ethan, baby, you know that can't happen."

"I know. But I like too play pretend. We could all play."

"I don't think so."

"Not even for just one day?"

"No."

He closed his eyes. "I guess Dad can't come live here again either."

"He can't."

"I miss him."

"He calls you every night."

"Not tonight," Ethan mumbled. "He must have gotten busy."

"Must of."

"Course, I don't know with what. He always says that I'm the most important thing to him."

"I'm sure you are."

"He loves me."

"Very much."

Ethan nodded a little. "He loves Bruce too."

"Yep."

"I love Bruce. He's the best brother ever."

"I know he is."

"I'mma be a good big brother too, you know."

"I know."

It was quiet for awhile as she sat there, stroking his head softly. As she sat there, Max looked around at the pictures that lined the wall. Ethan liked to draw and color. He thought that he was going to be an artist/astronaut/racecar driver. Now, apparently, he's also going to be a guitarist too.

"Mommy?" He mumbled after a couple of minutes.

"What?"

"I love you."

She leaned down and kissed his head. "I love you too."

* * *

><p>"When can I?"<p>

"Hmmm?" Max was making coffee when Bruce walked in to the kitchen.

"Move out."

"Your father works all week. How about I call him on Friday, okay? I don't want to bother him."

"Okay," Bruce said, looking happier than usual. Part of Max was glad that he felt good, but another part of her was hurt that he didn't want to stay with her.

"Don't mention it to your brother, alright? He's going to be upset."

"He can't come?"

"No."

Bruce wasn't going to fight for him. Now content in the fact that he was getting his way, Bruce walked off to finish getting ready for school.

"Hey, Max."

"Hey," she said, squirming slightly when Ryan kissed her cheek. "Stop. I'm busy."

He just did it again before going to sit at the table. "Can you make me cereal?"

"Yeah, sure."

It was about thirty minutes later that Ethan chose to walk in.

"Mom, guess what?"

"What, baby?"

"I dreamed last night that I was an astronaut! It was amazing. I've decided to give up being a racecar driver. Just for now. You know, I have so much on my plate. I'm a very busy man. I have guitar practice, dog searching to do- That reminds me! I've been meaning to tell you. I'm looking for a dog. So if you know any, send them my way."

"I told you that you can't have a dog."

"I know that," he said as he went to go sit down at the table. "I'm just, uh, gonna talk to him. What if he's sad, Mom? It's my job to cheer them up!"

"Sure you won't try to keep him?"

"Positive as a pregnancy test."

"Ethan!"

"What?"

"Don't say that. It's…stupid."

"It's nothing bad, Mom. Just a joke." He smiled when she gave him cereal. "I thought that I should inform you that I'm a man now."

"Are you?"

"Yep!"

"What made you come to this conclusion?"

"Ain't it obvious?"

"What?"

"I'm taller!"

"Is that what makes you a man?" Max asked, glancing at him.

"Yes."

"Why do you think so?"

"I heard Dad on the phone with one of his girlfriends the other day and he said that she makes him grown big and thick."

"Ethan!"

Ryan started laughing loudly. "Should stop listening in on your pop's phone calls, kid."

He sat up straight. "Dad's a man. I'm gonna be just like him."

"Ethan, don't eavesdrop on Fang's calls, okay? God."

He shrugged. "I'm still a man."

"Man, huh?" Ryan got up and patted the boy on the head. "What happened to your money, little man?"

"What money?"

"The money that you were going to buy breakfast with."

Ethan shook his head, staring down at his cereal. "Food prices are more than they used to be."

"Is that so?" Ryan put his bowl in the sink before getting some coffee. "What'd you buy?"

"Some candy."

"Just for yourself?"

"I didn't say that."

"Is that why all those girls were over here yesterday?" Max asked as she started to wash dishes.

"Yep!" He smiled his brightly lit smile. "By the way, Mom, I'm going too need more money."

"Get a job, Mr. Man."

"Mom, how could I possibly find the time between school and being in a band?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure that you'll figure it out."

"You're right. I'm the smartest kid in my class, I hope you know," he said as he dug into his cereal. "Of course, I think it's just because the teacher likes me the best. Have I told you about that yet?"

Max smiled as she looked over at him. "No, I don't think you have."

* * *

><p>Max had work today. Sometimes, she liked it better than being at home. Today was no exception. She was dreading having to go pick up Ethan from school. Not because she didn't want to see him, but because it was just one day closer to having to send Bruce over to Fang's.<p>

"Hey, Mom, guess what?"

"What?" She asked as Ethan climbed into the backseat.

"School was amazing! The teacher let me read the book to the class today. She likes me the best, you know."

"No kidding?"

"Yep!" He kicked his feet back in forth as they drove down the road. "Mom, do you think that you're a good driver?"

"Yes, I would like to think so."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"It's just…I think that you should let me drive. I need to practice for my races, you know. It's nothing personal."

"I thought that you weren't going to be a racecar driver anymore?"

"I wasn't, but…I dunno." He stopped kicking his feet. "Hey, Mom?"

"What, baby?"

"You think that we can watch Toy Story today?"

Sighing, she agreed, hoping that he would find something better to do once they got home. In her head, she decided that the only way to cure this Toy Story problem would before someone to 'accidentally' break the movie.

"You're the best, Mom. I love that movie."

Maybe not break it. But to lose it for awhile wouldn't be that bad, would it?


	3. Chapter 3

Frayed

Chapter 3

Fang ran a hand down his stomach, feeling the indentions in his stomach where his abs were. Last night…what happened last night?

Sitting up, he looked around and found that he wasn't at home. Shit.

Silently as possible, he got out of bed and surveyed the girl that was next to him. Drunk as he was last night, she was still hot. Good for him.

Still trying to be quiet, he dressed quickly before rushing from the house. Reaching into his pocket, he found that the photo was still there along with his keys. Good. So good.

When he got out to his car, he saw that he had left his cell phone in the car. Frowning, he realized that he didn't call Ethan the night before. Great.

Sighing, Fang pulled away from the woman's houses, headed back to his apartment. He didn't have work till later that day. Work out time.

After getting home, Fang took a run before getting back home in time to shower. After that, he was free until five.

He sent out a few texts before realizing that no one was going to reply. He was alone for the day. When he was with Max, he would have been excited about that. Now though, his weeks were filled with alone time. It was enough to make a man go crazy.

* * *

><p>Days passed quickly to Friday. This weekend, though, Fang was all alone. Next weekend would be amazing. He would buy pizza and candy and movies for the boys. Not this week though. This week was all about hookups.<p>

He had just gotten out of the shower when Max sent him a text. It said to come over, she needed him. Immediately, Fang rushed to get dressed.

She needed him. One of the boys must be hurt. Hopefully they didn't break a bone. Bruce did that once. God, he hoped it wasn't that.

The more that Fang thought about it though, the more it being for the boys wouldn't make sense. They were at school. And, if one was hurt, she would have him meet her at the emergency room. Plus, she would have called.

Sitting up a little bit straighter in his seat, he realized this was a booty call. Max. Booty calling him. Ha! He knew she'd come crawling back. But she was pregnant…hmmm….he could do it regardless. He'd let her be on top…for the most part. Yeah…

When he got to the door, he almost didn't knock, but decided to regardless. Man, he should have stopped and got her some flowers or something.

"Forget your key again, Ry- Fang."

"Hey, baby," he said, making sure to sound as sexy as possible. Max frowned.

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh…you kind of texted me to be here."

"Not now! When the boys got home." She looked him up and down. "You are wearing way too much cologne."

"Max."

"Wait…did you think that…Fang..." She blushed. "I called you here for something important."

"Well?"

"Bruce isn't here, but…come in. Neither is Ryan."

Fang followed Max into the house, slightly embarrassed and also somewhat disappointed. Boning Max was, after all, a favorite pastime of his.

"I wanted to talk about Bruce."

"So you said."

Max went into the kitchen and he trailed behind. "Bruce wants to…live with you."

"He always has, Max."

"I know, but now…he's older, Fang. He's growing up. I'm going to…let him. If you want him."

"If I…Of course I want him!"

"No need to yell." She sat down at the kitchen table. "My head already hurts."

"Sorry," he mumbled before looking her in the eyes. "Max…are you serious about this?"

"Of course I am. You have to promise though that you're going to let him come back to me if he ever wants to."

"Of course, of course," he mumbled, moving to lean against the counter. "Are you okay with this, Max?"

"Yeah. I mean, no, but it's what he wants, Fang."

"What are we going to do about him coming to see you?" Fang looked over at her. "You want him over the weekend while I have Ethan?"

"Then they'll never see each other."

"Then you come up with a plan, Max."

"What if you get Ethan every week end, but I see Bruce ever other? Like now."

"No. I wouldn't do that to you. I hated it. It's not fair to you."

Max stared at him. "I could get every other Sunday and then the next week get Fridays."

"I think that we'll just have to talk to Bruce. See what he wants. You know."

"Yeah."

It was quiet for a moment before Fang pushed off the counter. "You okay, Max?"

"Hmmm?"

"I know that you don't like to be home by yourself. Ryan got work?"

"No, he went out."

"Where?"

"It's really none of your business."

Ouch. Fang shook his head. "You're right. Sorry. I'll, uh, go."

"Fang, I didn't…you don't have to go."

He leaned back again. "Your mom called me the other day."

Max frowned. "For what?"

"Just wanted to talk, I guess."

"She say anything bad about me?"

"Max, you know I'm not one to talk about others behind their backs."

"So she did?"

"No, not really."

"Not this time, you mean?"

He laughed a little. "Yeah, you know-"

"Max? You here? Whose car is that?"

"Shit," Max mumbled, standing up as Ryan walked into the kitchen. Fang crossed his arms, now having no plans of leaving.

"What's going on?"

"We were just talking about Bruce moving in with Fang," Max said, glancing at her current boyfriend. "I told you about that, remember?"

"Yeah," Ryan said, staring hard at Fang. "What's there to talk about, anyways? You taking your son?"

"I am," Fang said, nodding slightly.

"Then I guess you're done talking."

"Guess so," Fang said, still not moving.

"I'll see you later tonight, Fang. Come by around seven to pick him up, okay?"

Again, he just nodded. "You know Ethan's going to be upset."

"I know. He'll get over it though. He always does."

"Always does," Fang repeated before walking out of the kitchen and out of the house, leaving Max behind to deal with Ryan. You'd think that guy would be understanding of the fact that Fang was still going to be in Max's life. They had kids together. He didn't expect Fang to just leave her out to dry, did he?

* * *

><p>"Hi, Dad!" Ethan opened the door, barely able to control his excitement. "I told you that you could come over and play!"<p>

"I told you, Ethan, he's not here to play with you," Max said from the couch as Fang came into the house. "Bruce! Your dad's here."

Coming into the room, Bruce had a bag with him. "Can we leave now?"

"Leave? No one told me that we were going to Dad's." Ethan smiled brightly. "Sorry, Mom, no Toy Story tonight. You can watch it on your own if you want."

"Ethan, we need to talk," Max said. "Come here."

"Later, Mom."

"No, now," Fang said, looking down at his youngest. "Buddy…You're not coming tonight."

'What? How come?"

"Well…Max, can't he spend the weekend with me?"

"He can, if you want, I guess."

"See? All better," Ethan said. "Let me go get my st-"

"But, Ethan, you need to know something," Fang said, grabbing his arm when he tried to run off.

"What?" He asked, staring up at his dad.

"When Sunday comes…Bruce isn't going to come back home."

"Why not?" He didn't get it. Where would Bruce go?

"He's going to stay with me…and you're going to come back here."

What? Ethan shook his head. "Nope. Remember, Dad? We have to come back home to Mom. You said so yourself."

"I know, bud, but now…Bruce is going to live with me and you're going to stay with Mom."

"Why can't I go?"

"Because I need you to stay here," Fang said, glancing at Max. Why wouldn't she say anything?

"No. I wanna go too. I wanna stay too." He looked back at Max. "Can't I?"

"You need to stay with me, Ethan."

"That's not fair! I want to live with Daddy too!" He started to bawl, something that was rare for him. Bruce was angered by this.

"Stop it, Ethan. Why do you have to act like a baby about everything?"

"I wanna be like Bruce! What about me? Why don't I get to do anything? I wanna go with Daddy too! It's not fair!" He ran over to his mother. "Mommy!"

Picking him up, she gave him a kiss on the head. 'Ethan, don't cry. You said that you wanted to live with me. Remember?"

"I do."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I want Daddy too!" He sniffled loudly. "Don't you wanna live with me, Dad?"

"Yeah, buddy, but-"

"Then how come you can't?"

"You know why."

"No."

"Me and your mom aren't together anymore, Ethan. We're not going to live together."

"I hate you!" He turned his head towards Max, not even wanting to look at his father anymore. "I hate you and don't wanna go with you! I wanna stay with Mom. I hate you!"

"Can we go now?" Bruce asked, not one for his brother's theatrics.

"Ethan, say sorry," Max told him. "Now."

"No! Leave me alone, Dad. I'm not going with you. Me and Mom are gonna watch Toy Story and be happy."

"Ethan-"

"Leave me alone."

Fang shook his head. "Well, I love you and hope that you change your mind. Come on, Bruce. We'll get the rest of your stuff tomorrow."

"Bye, M-" Bruce was cut off by Ethan.

"I hate you too, Bruce! You're not my brother anymore."

He ignored Ethan and just followed Fang out of the house.

* * *

><p>"Yeah, I can't come out," Fang said into his cell as he lay in bed.<p>

"What do you mean?"

"I told you, bro, my oldest son came to live with me," Fang told his friend.

"Then when exactly do you expect to go out?"

"I don't know. Me and my ex are going to work out when he's with her later. I didn't want to push it right now, seeing as I just got him."

Fang was still talking when he heard a knock on the door. "Bruce, pizza! Get the door, bud. Money's on the kitchen counter."

He stayed in his room for a few more minutes before going out to check on things. Bruce wasn't in the living room. Frowning, he went into his bedroom.

"Why aren't you watching TV?"

"There's nothing on," he said, not looking up from his laptop.

"You're going to get grease on the keys."

"Don't care."

Fang walked into the room a little bit, looking around. "Uh, Bruce, you know that…you're still going to have to go see your mom."

"Same as when I was with her, right? Once every two weeks. I'm fine with that."

"No, not right."

"Then when will I see her?"

Fang shrugged. "I figured the two of you could talk about it. I need you to be nicer to Ethan too."

"I am nice to Ethan. I left him the Wii."

"Who wants that? You took all the other game systems."

"And?"

"Bruce."

"He can't play anything but Mario anyways."

Fang shook his head. "The point is, you've been really mean to him recently. Things haven't been easy for him."

"I don't see how not when you guys just let him act like a baby all the time."

"He is a baby."

"He's seven. I didn't act like that at seven."

"Oh, yes you did. You would cry every time I left for work until you were eight and realized that wasn't cool."

Bruce frowned. "I did not."

"Yeah, you did. I remember. Then you would get so upset when you had to do your homework. You almost failed second grade because you refused to do your class work. Or when you-"

"Okay, fine, I was a brat, whatever."

Fang smiled a little before turning to walk out of the room. "And be nicer to your mom. She's going through a lot too."

"Nothing that she didn't cause."

"I mean it, Bruce. Her and…Ryan are happy."

"Is that what you think?"

"It's what I hear."

"Then you don't listen well."

Fang paused at the door to rub his eyes. "Their relationship isn't any of your business and it's even less mine. You're over here now, so I don't want to hear anymore complaining about Ryan. Alright?"

"Whatever."

* * *

><p>The next day, Fang was ready at ten to go over to Max's. He wanted to fix things with Ethan as soon as possible.<p>

"Bruce? You up? Bruce, wake up."

He swatted his father away. "It's too early."

"No. Get up. What time did you go to bed last night?"

"I didn't. Five in the morning, I guess."

"What? Does your mom let you-"

"I live with you now. You always let me stay up late."

"Yeah, but…just come on. We've got to go."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I want to go get your stuff now though, before Ethan goes to a friend's house or something."

By the time they got there, it was already noon and Bruce was complaining about being hungry. Luckily for him, Max had lunch waiting.

She had learned years ago that cooking wasn't as hard as it seemed, so long as she stuck to frozen food with directions on them. Fish sticks, chicken nuggets, and frozen fries were a constant there. Not that Ethan complained.

When they walked in, Max immediately asked if Bruce had ate. When he said no, she told him to go get some fries from the kitchen. Fang looked towards the living room and saw Ethan.

"Hey, b-"

"Go away," he said, not looking away from the TV. " Me and Ryan are playing Mario kart."

"Told you that's all he can play," Bruce said as he came into the room, his own plate in hand. Max made a face.

"Fang, you can eat too, if you want," she said before going back into the kitchen.

Not planning on eating, but needing to talk to her, Fang followed. "Is Ethan really still mad at me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"He's just upset, Fang," she said, going to get her own food. Fang walked over to the oven pan the fries were sitting in and grabbed a few. Maybe he was a little hungry.

"While Bruce finishes packing his stuff up, you think its okay if I take Ethan out?"

"Yeah, you can. Where though?"

"I dunno. Just for a drive, I guess."

"Do what you want. And get a plate, Fang."

"I'm only eating this handful. And look, Max, you didn't burn them this time."

"You're so funny," she told him, smiling slightly.

"Thank you." He took another handful, making Max swat his hands away.

Ryan cleared his throat as he came into the room. Max moved away from Fang and he went back to his bored expression. Fang left the room to go talk to Ethan, leaving Max alone with her boyfriend.

"Bruce, after you eat, go pack up whatever else you're taking. Ethan, you're gonna come with me."

"I don't wanna."

"Well, you're going to."

"I still hate you."

After Ethan finished eating, Fang made him follow him out to the car.

"Ethan, I wanted to talk to you about some stuff."

"I don't care. I like Ryan now."

"That's good," Fang said, jaw set. "I want you to like Ryan."

"Good."

"Good."

It was quiet for a little bit longer before Fang spoke again.

"Ethan, Bruce is coming to stay with me because-"

"I don't care, I don't care, I don't care!"

"Well, I don't care if you don't care. I'm your dad and you're not going to just yell over me. Understand?"

He crossed his arms, not saying anything.

"Alright. Now, your brother is coming to live with me because he's older than you. He needs to be around because…older boys need to live with their fathers. I have to be in his life a lot more than yours. When you get older, you can come and stay with me too."

"Maybe I don't want to."

"And if you don't, you don't have to. Right now though, Max needs you and I need someone to watch over her."

His interest was sparked. "Like a secret agent?"

What? "Uh, sure."

"Can I have a code name?"

"Um…Yeah, sure."

"Well, what is it, Dad?"

Fang relaxed a little now that the tension was gone. "Er…Uh…E.T."

Ethan gasped. "No one will ever figure that one out! You're so smart, Dad."

"Thanks, Ethan."

"E.T."

"Yeah, sure." Fang shook his head slightly. "You can't tell nobody though."

"Not Mommy?"

"No."

"Ryan?"

"No."

"What about Bruce?"

"Yeah, sure, tell Bruce."

"Ya!" Ethan fist pumped. "Can I spend the night tonight?"

"If your mom says yes, I don't see why not."

"Cool. You need a spy name too, Dad."

"You choose, buddy."

"…Can I call you Raven?"

Fang frowned. "Why?"

He giggled, but refused to say why. Ethan was so weird though that Fang figured it was some inside joke he had with himself and let it go.

* * *

><p>The day was spent moving Bruce's stuff and the night was spent playing video games. Ethan was tired after having to walk up and down the apartment stairs carrying stuff, so he just slept in Fang's lap the whole time. His father made no objections.<p>

After putting the boys to bed, Fang talked on the phone to some women for awhile before taking a shot and going to bed. He was only asleep for an hour or so when there was a rapping on his door.

"Dad?"

He grunted.

"I had a bad dream."

He grunted again.

"Can I sleep with you?"

Again with the grunt. Now content, Ethan ran into the room and got into Fang's bed. He laid his favorite stuffed animal that he always made sure that Bruce didn't know about right next to Fang's face.

"Ethan-"

"He's scared too!"

Reaching out, Fang ran a hand down his son's face. "Nothing can get you, Ethan. I'm here. You don't have to be afraid."

"You're all the way in here though. You don't know what goes on in the rest of the house!"

"Shhh. And yes, I do."

"I don't think so."

"I think that you need to go to sleep."

"I'm not sleepy."

"That's because you slept all day."

"Not all day."

"Most the day."

"Yeah, only most."

Fang stroked the boy's head. "Go to sleep, buddy. I'm tired."

He grabbed onto Fang's arm, pulling his hand away from his face. Looking at his hand, he traced at scar on it.

"I want a scar."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do," he said before getting onto his knees and moving closer to Fang's face. Running a hand across one on his face, he said, "I want one like this. Then everyone can see it and know that I'm a hero."

"I'm not a hero, buddy."

"Yes, you are. We learned about you in school. You saved the world. I tell everyone that my mom and dad are better than theirs because mine did something amazing."

"It's not good to brag."

He shrugged. "I can't help it, Dad."

"Yes, you can."

Moving again, this time he moved to Fang's exposed chest. "How come you don't wear jammies?"

"Because I'm a man."

"Bruce don't wear no shirt either. That make him a man?"

"Makes him a teenager."

"I like my jammies."

"I know you do."

"I want a scar like this too," he said, touching Fang's marks from when a flying Eraser clawed his stomach in.

"No, you really don't. I got really hurt from that."

"Did Mom take care of you?"

"She always takes care of me."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

"Show me your wings, Dad."

As Fang was laying on his side, he only opened one, making it extend up towards the ceiling. Ethan started giggling. Under his breath, he mumbled raven.

"What did you just say?"

He laughed louder, rolling into a ball on the bed.

"Ethan, who told you that my wings looked like a raven?"

He sobered slightly. "I can't tell you."

"You never keep secrets from me, remember?"

He looked Fang in the eyes. "Mom."

Frowning, he asked when she said this.

"All the time."

"Why?"

"I ask her to tell me stories," Ethan explained as he reached out to touch his father's wings. Ethan didn't have wings. Bruce did, but they weren't as magnificent as his parent's. They were smaller, malformed. When he was eight, he jumped off the roof, trying to fly. He broke his arm and crushed his right wing. Fang made him get them removed.

"What stories does she tell?"

"All kinds."

"About the School?"

He nodded as he moved back to his own spot on the bed. "Sometimes though, she gets sad and doesn't finish the story. Like, she told me that Ari was her little brother, but she doesn't talk about him. His story never ended. She doesn't like for me to mention him."

"You shouldn't."

"Did he get sick, Dad?"

He nodded a little. "He…died."

"That's sad."

Fang didn't think so.

"Yeah."

"She talks 'bout Gozen too. And Antarctica too." He yawned a little. "Bridget, Uncle Gasman, Jeb, Maya, Kate, and a bunch of others." Then he giggled. "Plus Mr. Chu!"

Fang smiled at him. "You like listening to your mom tell you stories, huh?"

"Yep! I love Mom." He looked at his father. "Dad?"

"What?"

"Did you know Total?"

He laughed a little. "Yep."

"Did he die to?"

"Yeah, buddy."

"He sounded nice."

"I wouldn't call him nice, but…he was good."

"You know Anne?"

"I know all about Anne."

"Dylan?"

Fang nodded solemnly.

"The Director?"

"Yes."

"You know a lot."

"Yeah, I guess I do."

The little boy closed his eyes. "I hope that I'll get to have adventures one day. Me and my friends being heroes just like my mom and dad. Everyone will know my name. Yep, I'mma have…adventures…just like…y…"

Fang ran a hand down the head of his sleeping son. "And I hope you never do."

* * *

><p>Fang groaned loudly, opening his eyes. Ethan had cuddled against him in the middle of the night and didn't look like he wanted to move any time soon. He laid there for thirty minutes letting his son lay on him before he decided that it was time to get up.<p>

"Come on, Ethan," he said, moving out from under the boy. "Time to get up."

He groaned, not wanting to. "I don't wanna go back home."

"I know, buddy, but you have to. Remember, E.T.?"

He giggled. "Yeah, Raven."

After feeding him breakfast, Fang left Bruce at home so that he could take Ethan back. With the thought of being a secret agent in his head, it was a lot simpler to get him there.

"I'll see you later, E.T.," Fang told Ethan as he pulled up.

"Bye, Dad. I'll talk to you tonight. Right?"

"Right," he said. After he got out of the car, Fang sat there and waited for him to get into the house and give a slight wave before driving off, back home, to Bruce and all the fun that would include.

When he got there, Bruce was still in the living room, watching TV.

"Come on, Bruce."

He glanced up. "Come on and what?"

"I'm going for a run."

Bruce turned his vision back to the TV. "Have fun."

"You don't wanna come?"

"No."

"Then what do you want to do all day? Watch TV?"

"It's Sunday."

"I know. I could have made you go to church, but I didn't."

"And I appreciate that, but that doesn't mean that I want to go running."

"What about the gym? Some weight lifting? Have you ever seen me-"

"Yes, I know that you're strong. I don't care."

Fang frowned. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing. I just don't understand why you're bothering me."

"Because I want to spend time together."

"We always spend time together watching TV."

"That was before. Now that we're living together I figured we'd do other stuff."

"Well, I like TV and video games. You like running and video games. So we should just both play video games together."

Fang shook his head at his son. "Fine, but I'm going to keep looking amazing and you're never going to have abs or muscles."

"I don't need abs or muscles. I'm naturally hot."

"Right, sure. Whatever. Maybe later, huh? Pushups or something?"

"Yeah, later."

Fang left for his run, not able to figure out why Bruce didn't want to go. Was running not 'cool' enough for him? Boy had better hope that the world stays saved, because without wings and muscles, his ass is pretty much screwed.


	4. Chapter 4

Frayed

Chapter 4

Weeks passed quickly, turning into months. Max had about one more month to go before she had her baby and she found that she had more important things to do than worry about Bruce moving out. With him gone and Ethan staying with Fang every other weekend, her and Ryan got to be home alone a lot more, which seemed to be good for their relationship. For the most part, anyways.

"Stop, Ry," she said, pushing his head away as he kissed her face. "I'm tired."

"Get up."

"I don't feel like it. I'm off. Leave me alone."

"Wish I could just stay in bed all day."

"You can. You work nights."

"I have a life though."

She ignored him the rest of the time that he was in the room. As soon as he left the house, she pulled out her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Fang, I want to talk to Ethan."

"No hi?"

"Fang."

"He's sleeping right now. Do you want me to wake him up?"

"No," she sighed. "Where's Bruce?"

"At a friend's house."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

It was silent for a moment and neither knew how to end or continue the conversation safely.

"You need something, Max?"

"Huh?"

"Is Ryan there?"

"You always ask that."

"You always answer the same."

She sighed, closing her eyes. "I just wanted to talk to the boys."

"Then why are you still talking?"

"Shut up, Fang."

"Are you hungry, Max?" Fang asked. "Huh? Is your stomach okay?"

"Stop worrying about me."

"I'm not worrying about you. I'm just making sure that you're alright, seeing as you're home all the time. I don't want something happening to the mother of my children."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, Max, it is." She heard him shift through some papers. He was probably looking for a bill or something. "You were, after all, my best friend."

"Were?"

He paused, trying not to laugh. "You are in a very good mood today, aren't you? Hormones doing you good this pregnancy, Max."

She moved on the bed a little, opening her eyes. "I just feel like talking to you."

"I'm making no objections."

"It's not what you think, Fang. I'm with Ryan."

"I still make no objections."

"I'm also pregnant, so I have objections."

"I'm sure you do, but I'm all the way over here, so it's not like anything is going to happen between us besides conversation."

"I just…want to talk to you, that's all. I miss you."

"That's where it starts, Max."

"Think what you want, but it doesn't. I like Ryan."

"Like?"

"I said love."

"If you say so."

"Fang, don't start with me."

He laughed again. She liked his laugh. It was always sincere.

"You drunk, Fang?"

"No, but call me back when you have Bruce and Ethan. Then we can really have a conversation."

"Maybe I should make a habit of calling you."

"I think you should. I really think you should." She heard Fang lay down on his bed and she was starting to have regrets about calling him. Well, not calling him, but surely continuing the conversation was wrong.

"Fang?"

"What, Max?"

"When I have the baby, you're going to keep the boys for us while I'm in the hospital, right?" She was trying to change the subject and hoped this worked.

"Yeah. Of course."

"Thanks."

"There's no need to thank me, Max. They are my boys."

"I know."

"So, uh, what are you doing right now?" He asked.

"Laying in bed. You?"

"Same."

She was afraid that he immediately thought of them in bed together and then quickly decided the change the subject hadn't worked. So she tried again.

"What did you and the boys do last night?"

"Just hangout. What did you and Ryan do? Unless it's inappropriate and then you can keep it to yourself."

"He worked, so I was alone."

"Are you trying to hint to me that you did inappropriate things to yourself last night?"

"Fang, you just took that way too far."

"Max, we're both adults."

"Who aren't together."

"We were though."

"And?"

He sighed. "What? Now you're mad at me?"

"No. I was just…We don't talk anymore."

"How could we? You're always so mad at me for no reason."

"There's a reason."

"Oh, yeah? Is it as stupid as the one that you used to kick me out of the house?"

"I didn't kick you out. I'm so tired of you spinning it that way. You left."

"I think you kicked me out."

"I know what you think, but you think wrong."

"Do I? Then what did happen, Max? I remember coming home and you just getting mad about me drinking. Me and Jack Daniels go way back, you know."

"Oh, I know. And that's not all I was mad about, so stop playing."

He paused. "You're really going to try and throw that woman in my face? I knew her for, like, two weeks. We never even touched."

"You wanted to sleep with her."

"Max, I want to sleep with a lot of women! That doesn't mean I do."

"Right, sure, whatever."

Fang took a deep breath. "Max, are you really going to fight with me?"

"I'm not fighting. Are you fighting?"

"Nope, guess not."

"Good guess."

Fang let out a slight yawn. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired. You probably are though."

"Why do you say that?"

"You always get tired when you're pregnant."

It was weird for her to hear him say things about her, characteristics that only he would ever know.

"I'm kind of hungry, actually."

"We just ate," Fang said.

"What'd you eat?"

"I made the boys waffles."

"With chocolate sauce?"

"Is there any other way?"

Max closed her eyes again. "I remember when you used to make those for us every Friday morning."

"I remember too."

They talked for at least an hour about things that no one else in the world would ever care about. They cared though.

"I have to go, Fang."

That clearly caught him off guard. "Huh?"

"I have to go. You need your day with the boys."

"No, no. I could come over."

"…Excuse me?"

"I meant…you're hungry, right? I'll bring you food."

"Fang-"

"You were my best friend before we ever even dated, Max. I would do the same for Nudge and Angel."

"Still."

"Max, you're not eating enough, I don't think."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because…I don't know. We have to eat a lot and you need to eat even more while carrying that baby. I just don't-"

"It's not _that _baby, Fang. We've picked out a name."

"What is it-"

Max had to cut him off. "Fang, I have to go. Ryan's back."

"But-"

"Bye," she said quickly before hanging up on him. It was only a few moments later that Ryan walked in.

"Still tired?"

"Not so much, no."

He sighed, going to sit down next to his girlfriend. "It's so quiet without your boys here."

"Yeah."

"Especially the little one."

"He can be loud."

"He's fun though," Ryan assured before looking back at Max. "How's your stomaching treating you?"

"Alright."

He patted her on the head before standing up. "I'll be in the living room. Call me if you need me."

"I will."

After he was gone, Max sent a text out to one of her friends, hoping for a reply. She wanted to get out of the house now, away from Ryan. She didn't get a reply back.

"What are you watching?" She came out of her room just to sit on the couch with him. Ryan glanced at her.

"News." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Ethan comes home tomorrow, huh?"

"Yeah."

Leaning over a little, he kissed her cheek which made Max smile a little.

"I am so happy about the baby," he mumbled, moving to rub her stomach.

"Yeah."

"I'll be a great dad, Max. I really will."

"I'm sure."

He kissed her again before standing up. "Well, I'm out. See you tomorrow. Going to work after I finish watching the game with Jerry."

Max frowned. "Okay. Bye."

* * *

><p>When Ethan got home, he immediately went to work helping Max clean the house. She was now too pregnant to move about much, but Ethan didn't seem to mind helping her.<p>

"Did you have fun with your dad?"

"Lots of fun, Mom," he said. "He said that next time I come over, we're going to build a fort."

"That sounds like even more fun."

"Yeah. I love Dad."

"I know you do."

"You think that he'll wanna meet the new baby?"

"I don't know, Ethan. That's not Fang's problem."

He kept wiping up the kitchen floor. "I think that we'd all be happy together. Don't you?"

"We're happy right now, baby."

"Not baby, Mom. I'm not a baby anymore. Now you're gonna have another baby. I'll be like Bruce. You have to call me by name."

Max rolled her eyes. "Are you sure that's how you want it, Ethan?"

"Yes."

"Alright. But until I give birth, you're still my baby."

"If you say so."

"I do, baby."

He stood up. "All done. Now what?"

"You can take a break."

"No, Mom, I can't. You have to treat me like Bruce, remember? You always made him take out the trash, clean the bathroom, vacuum. You have to make me do all that."

"Baby, you don't have to clean twenty-four seven. Bruce rarely ever did all his chores."

"Still. I wanna be a man."

She gave him a tired smile. "You're really obsessed with this stuff, aren't you? What do you think being a man means?"

"I don't know. I just know that I have to be one."

"Ethan, you don't have to be anything. You're just my little boy, okay?"

"No, I don't think so, Mom." He sighed, sitting down next to her at the table. "What's for dinner?"

"What do you want? Hotdogs or pizza pockets?"

"Hotdogs."

"Alright then."

They stayed in the kitchen for a little while longer before Ethan ran off to go play in his room. Max was already back in her bedroom, resting, when her phone going off woke her up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Max. Ryan there?"

She frowned. "No. Fang, what's wrong?"

"Wrong? What do you mean?"

"We talked yesterday."

"But we had to stop."

"Yeah, I know."

"Is Ryan there?"

"No." Hadn't she already said that?

"Then we don't have to strip anymore!"

"What?"

"Stop. I meant stop."

"You're drunk."

"Max, how dare you ac…accu…say something like that."

"Fang, where's Bruce?" She sat up. "Do I need to come get him?"

"Slow your roll, Max."

"Don't you ever tell me to-"

"Bruce still isn't home. He's with friends. He has some nice friends, Max. I wish I had friends like that."

She shook her head. "Fang, don't call me anymore, alright?"

He paused. "I thought that we was gonna be best friends 'gain, Max? What happened?"

"I just…you clearly are just calling me because you're drinking."

"I wanna talk to you. My best friend." He made some sort of noise in the back of his throat that made Max make a face.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm perfect, Max," he said slowly, as if he was trying out words for the first time and wasn't sure if he liked them or not. "You? Want me to bring you food or something?"

"Fang, you are way too drunk to even go out driving. Don't you dare leave that apartment."

He was starting to get annoyed for some reason. "Why do you care, huh? You care 'bout me, Max?"

"Yes! Don't drink and drive, Fang. You could hurt someone else besides your boneheaded self."

He made another weird noise. "Well, I care more about you than just some person I don't even know that may get hurt."

"You should."

He huffed. "I'm so insulted, Max. I thought that you loved me."

"Fang-"

"I love you. You love me."

"Thanks, Barney."

"My name is Fang! Who is this Barney?"

"The dino- never mind. Nothing, Fang."

Whining a little, he whispered, "You always keep things from me."

Max sighed. She was way too pregnant to be dealing with him.

"Fang, just stay in your apartment, okay?"

"No."

"Fang, please."

"No. I'm gonna come see you."

"Well, I want you to stay there. You have to wait on Bruce, remember?"

"Bruce doesn't care. He hates me! You all…Hey, Max, did you know that WWE is on Mondays? Whoo! Love it!"

At least he was sidetracked. "There. You stay there and watch that, okay?"

"I love it."

"I know. Goodbye, Fang."

"I love wrestling! Yeah."

"I know. Bye, Fang."

He paused for the second, trying to pull himself together. "Bye, Max. I love wrestling."

"I know."

"I love you. Goodbye." He hung up the phone before she could say anything.

* * *

><p>"Hi, Mom."<p>

"Bedtime," she told him, standing in the doorway.

"I want a story."

"Ethan-"

"Please? I'm only a baby for a few more days."

Slowly, she went to go sit down next to him on the bed. "What do you want a story about?"

"Dad."

She looked at him. "What about him?"

"I don't know."

Slowly, she moved to lay down next to him. Wrapping her arms around him, she said, "Did I tell you about the time that your dad walked out of a TV interview?"

"Nope."

She closed her eyes as he cuddled against her. "We had just saved the world and, you know, we were getting all sorts of press. Me, your father, and Iggy were going to Italy for awhile for a little vacation and a little work. Fang was already mad because I had scheduled the interview at the same time as something he wanted to do. I can't remember."

"Dad used to get mad a lot, huh?"

Before he started drinking, yeah. Even more so after. "Mmmhmm. Anyways, he and I went to the interview together, but Iggy didn't want to come. When we got there, Fang thought that they were being rude to us for some reason. I didn't think that they were. They wanted to see his wings and he showed them. God, he had the most beautiful wings."

Ethan giggled. "Yeah."

Kissing his head, she continued. "Anyways, the guy asking us questions was making Fang mad for some reason. I don't remember why. Then he asked if we were going to wed and Fang got really upset and walked out."

"Why?"

"Because he thought that the guy said something else."

"What?"

"It's inappropriate."

"What?"

Was Fang going to take her to bed. He was so stupid. Max was also pretty sure that he had been drinking a little bit before that anyways.

"I'm not going to tell you. Anyways, I finished the interview before going to go find him. He had found Iggy and they were…drinking."

"Drinking what?"

"B…Soda."

"That's bad?"

"They were drinking so much of it that they got stomachaches."

"Poor Dad." He shook his head. "Tell me another, Mom."

"I don't think so."

"Please?"

"About Fang again?"

"Yes!"

"What about Bruce's first time going trick-or-treating?" She smiled a little. "Bruce was going to be a dog. I had bought him some floppy ears and was going to use my makeup on him, but Fang got mad and said that was a stupid costume."

"Why'd he get mad?"

"I don't know. He just did. So I told him fine, go out and you find something for the baby to wear. He left the house, but got even more irritated because he couldn't. Everywhere was sold out. So he came back home, got Bruce's red baby blanket, put him in one of his blue outfits, and called him Batman."

Ethan frowned. "That's Superman, not Batman."

Max laughed. "I know that, but Fang didn't."

They laid there for awhile as Max told stories about her ex that made her laugh, but also slightly sad. That's how most of the past was though. You want to remember the good times, but that causes you to realize that the good times aren't there anymore because of something bad.

When Ethan was finally content, Max left his room, off to her own. Yawning a little, she changed clothes before climbing into bed.

"I cannot wait until you come out," she whispered to her baby, rubbing her stomach as it kicked. "It's so close now."

She had only been laying in bed for a few minutes when her phone went off again. This time, though, it was the house phone, which she had to get up to get. Looking at the caller ID made her groan.

"Fang, I swear to fucking God if you call me one more time tonight-"

"Uh, Mom, it's me."

Blushing heavily, Max stopped. "Bruce, I didn't….Why are you calling from your father's phone?"

"I'm not. You guys took mine a few months back, remember? He bought me the new one and put it in his name, I guess."

"Oh."

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Dad's asleep anyways, so he won't bother you anymore."

"Bruce…Did you want something, baby?"

"No."

Then why was he calling in the middle of the night? Max headed back to bed. "Well, do you just want to talk then?"

"…If that's what you want."

What she wanted? She wanted him at home with her, in his room, sleeping.

"Well, Ethan helped me clean today. He wants to be a big boy like you and do chores. I had to remind him that you don't do chores well."

"Yeah, that happens sometimes."

She laughed a little. "I guess that we really don't make him do that much. Not nearly as much as you. Or didn't, anyways."

He sighed. "Dad's waking up and is trying to order pizza."

"So?"

"He can't hit the buttons right. He drank a little Jameson tonight."

"You shouldn't-"

"Mom, I'm in high school in a few months. I know what drunk is."

"Still. He doesn't need to do that around you."

"Drink? Everyone drinks, Mom."

"You better not."

"Of course not."

"Bruce-"

"Mom, I'm afraid he might accidentally dial 911 or something. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, okay. I love you, Bruce."

"Bye."

Sighing, Max laid the phone next to her, knowing that Ryan would complain later about her not putting it on the hook, but she didn't care. Not at the moment. It's not like he could yell at her that much. She was pregnant after all, which she was reminded of when the baby kicked once again. As much as she loved that feeling, she slightly hated it at the same time. She still planned for this to be her last child, regardless of what Ryan said, and it was sad in a way. A good way though. A very good way.


	5. Chapter 5

Frayed

Chapter 5

It was weird for Fang, knowing that Max had her baby. Somewhere in his mind, he had held out a hope that maybe, as bad as it sounds, something would happen that prevented it. Fang didn't mean he hoped for a stillbirth as much as he had a childlike wish, that if he just opened his eyes one morning, the complication would be gone.

If that was going to ever happen, it wouldn't be for awhile. Max had given birth to a daughter, a healthy daughter. Great. Now he's really never going to get another chance.

"Dad?"

He looked over at Ethan. They were in the fort that they build a few weeks ago. Every time it fell, they would have to rebuild the pillows and blankets fortress. Fang didn't mind though.

"What?"

"When's Bruce going to get home?"

"I don't know," he said before closing his eyes again. "You know what time it is?"

Ethan held up his digital watch for Fang to see. Groaning, he forced himself to open his eyes again.

"Noon? We should get up, bud."

"No, Dad. I wanna stay asleep longer."

"You're not even sleeping."

"Still. I wanna lay here with you."

Glancing down at him, Fang nodded a little. "If this is how you want to spend the day, I won't argue."

Ethan smiled his usual little kid smile. "I can't wait to see the baby. You think it'll like me?"

Fang nodded. "But, you know, babies are very…cranky. You have to be very quiet."

"I know that, Dad. I'm not stupid."

"They cry a lot too."

"I know, I know. And they poop."

"That too, bud."

Ethan giggled a little. "You know that the baby's named after me."

"Is not."

"Yeah huh!"

"How?"

"Both our names start with E. Ethan. Elizabeth."

"How does that make her named after you? Besides, they probably will give her a nickname."

"What?"

"Yeah. Like…Liz or Lizzie or Beth or Lizbet or something like that."

Hearing that seemed to crush the boy. "You mean Mom didn't name her that for me?"

Fang hesitated. "Well…They might call her Ellie. Or El."

"El niño!"

"Yeah, whatever," Fang said, frowning a little.

Now brightened again, Ethan reached out and grabbed his father's hand. "I heard Mom and Ryan talking."

"About what?"

"Getting married."

Fang jerked his hand away before realizing that who he did it to wasn't who he wanted it to be directed at. At that very moment, that person was probably fawning over her new baby. Bleh.

"Sorry, E, I just…What did Ryan say?"

"That she just had to wait for him to propose. That's a funny word. I laughed and got caught spying on them. I didn't give up our codenames though!"

Fang patted his on the head. "I love you, Ethan. You know that though, right?"

"Yes. I love you too. You're my most favorite person in the world. You're my hero. Like Spiderman, but better."

The comparison made Fang cheerful again.

"Why? Because I'm real?"

Ethan's eyes bugged out. "Spiderman's not real?"

* * *

><p>"I think that I'm a pretty smart person. Don't you think, Dad?"<p>

"Yeah," he said as they ate their burgers. He had gone out and got them food. It was the Saturday before the last week of school and Ethan was going to have to go back home. "Hey, Ethan, you know after we eat you have to go home."

"I know." He stole some of his father's fries, but he pretended not to notice. "I can't wait to meet the baby. I tell you that she's named after me?"

"Yes, Ethan."

He laughed. "Is Bruce going to come home?"

"Yes. I'll pick him up on Monday though and he'll come back here."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"With what?"

"Being home alone."

Smiling, Fang reached out and patted the boy's head. "I'm fine, Ethan. You boys need to go be with your mother."

"If you're sure," Ethan said, sighing a little. "I just don't know about leaving you all by yourself. Won't you get lonely?"

"I'll have a few…friends over."

"Oh, that's good. You're gonna have a party?"

"Well, not a party, really."

"Then what?"

"Just gonna meet some of them, one at time. I find that you get better…conversation, one on one."

"Like how when Tyson and I hang out it's better than when Jamie, me, Tyson, Hector, and Victor all hangout together?"

"Yeah, sure."

Ethan nodded. "Hey, Dad?"

"What?"

"Are you going to have anymore kids?"

"No," Fang said without a thought. "Never."

"That's good, I guess. I don't really think that I'll like Elizabeth much as it is."

Fang shrugged. "She's going to be your sister regardless. And don't you go over there making problems for your mom and Ryan, okay? Having a baby is stressful."

"I get stressed too sometimes, Dad."

"Do you?"

"Yep! Like this one time, my teacher handed out homework and I didn't know how to add. I worried about it the whole ride home. But, my teacher helped me with it the next day. I think that she likes me more than the other kids. Have I told you about that?"

Fang shook his head a little. "You're gonna miss your teacher next year, huh? When you go to second grade?"

Ethan hadn't thought much about that. "Yeah. I miss my Kindergarten teacher too. He liked me way more than the other kids. Like this one time-"

"Ethan, I think that you talk too much."

His grin faded. "Oh."

"No, it's a good thing." Fang reached across the table and ruffled his youngest son's hair. "When I was young, I didn't talk that much. You must get it from your mother."

"Does she talk a lot?"

"Is that a real question? She talks nonstop!" Sighing a little, Fang gave his son the rest of his fries. Fang ate about ten meals a day. He could give this one to Ethan. "It's good though. The world needs people who aren't afraid to speak up."

Ethan finished his own food and his father's slowly. He didn't really want to go home. What if the baby didn't like him? Or what if now that he's not the baby anymore, Mom was mean to him? Or Ryan?

"You ready to go?" Fang asked, standing.

"What about Bruce?"

"We'll stop by his friend's house to get him."

Ethan jumped up. "Are you sure I have to go?"

"Yes, Ethan."

Frowning, he went around the house, picking up his stuff. When they finally got to the car, Fang was already planning in his head who he was going to hookup with that night.

"Dad?"

"Hmmm?"

"You think that you could come in? See Elizabeth with me?"

"Ethan, I don't think so. Your brother's going in with you, remember?"

He sighed. "I'm nervous though."

"You'll be okay, bud. It's still your mom."

"I know."

Fang shook his head a little as they pulled up to some girl's house. She was some girl that Bruce was friends with. As he repeatedly told them multiple times, they were not dating. Fang didn't really care if they were or not. He just wanted his son to get in the car.

"Bruce, what took you so long? Did you not hear my honking?"

"I was busy," he said, buckling his seatbelt. "Besides, I don't really want to go back to Mom's house."

"Well, you're going. And be nice to her, alright?"

"Why? Because you know that Ryan's about to leave her and would if she didn't just birth the spawn of Satan?"

"Bruce, why can't you just stay in kid zone and leave adult things alone?"

"Because I'm not a kid."

"Oh, yes, you are."

"Why? Because of my age?"

"No, because of your experiences. What I went through made me an adult early. What you've gone through has just made you a spoiled brat."

"You're just mad because Mom's with Ryan."

"I'm not mad, Bruce. You can make me that way though if you keep talking back to me."

He snorted. "Whatever."

Once they were back at home with Max, Fang left to head out on a date. The joys of being single surely outweighed the tied down man.

* * *

><p>Fang was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling. The months seemed to fall off the calendar, the days now being spent in the dead of summer. How much he missed the cold he only remembered when it got hot and vice versa.<p>

Today, Fang got a weird call from Ethan. He sounded upset. When he asked about what, he said that it had to do with his mother, but wouldn't say what about. Fang called Max twice to find out, but she wouldn't tell him. Bruce had no clue either. For awhile, it bothered him, not knowing what was wrong. Then he got into the Jack Daniels.

"Hey, Dad? Can I go out?"

He didn't even look towards the door. "Yeah."

"…Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Do you need anything before I go?"

"Just leave, Bruce."

After he was gone, Fang fell asleep for what only felt like an hour or so. When he woke up, however, he saw that he had slept for at least eight hours. Reaching over to the dresser, his hand lingered on his picture before he grabbed his phone. Bruce had sent him a text. He was staying the night at Henry's.

Sighing, Fang called Max again, this time not even expecting an answer.

"Hello?"

He opened his eyes. "Max?"

"You're the one who called me."

"It's Fang."

"I know."

"Ethan called earlier and said that-"

"Ethan called you?"

"Yeah, this morning."

Max sighed. "It was probably because…me and Ryan have been fighting."

"About?"

"None of your business. Why have you been calling me, anyways, Fang? Huh?"

"I called you, like, twice, Max. It's not that big of a deal."

"Why though?"

"Because I wanted to know what Ethan was talking about."

"We've just…been fighting the past few weeks."

Fang felt his eyes start to droop. "It's probably stress. Having a baby is hard."

"Like I don't know that."

"Ryan doesn't though, right? This is his first kid." Fang ran a hand down his toned stomach. "It's very stressful to be a new parent. Especially for the father."

"Oh, whatever."

Fang smiled a little. "What are you doing right now?"

"Ethan decided to spend the night at Victor's house and Ellie's sleeping, so I was going to take a nap. You?"

"Bruce is out too. So I'm napping."

"Drinking?"

"Is there another way to nap?"

"Fang."

He laughed a little. "We haven't talked in awhile."

"I've been busy with Liz."

"Liz, Ellie, which is it?"

"I don't know," Max sighed. "I'm trying out different ones. I want to find the nickname that fits her."

"When will you know?"

"Probably won't until she chooses."

"Who picked the name Elizabeth?"

"Ryan."

Fang frowned. "You didn't let me name the boys."

"You wanted to name them Jack and Jameson!"

"So?"

Fang could almost see her, shaking her head at his stupid comment. He wanted to touch her. Just to know if she still felt the same.

"Fang, sometimes you…I don't know."

He knew. Sometimes he made her want him. He felt the same.

"You know, Max, I'm a very good therapist."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"So?"

"I could fix you and Ryan."

"There's nothing to fix. We've just been fighting for the past few weeks, that's all."

"No, there has to be something more. It started after the baby was born, right?"

"Not the baby, Fang, Elizabeth."

"Right, Elizabeth. Now answer the question."

"Yeah, I guess they did."

"Clearly, the b- Elizabeth is the root of your problems."

"Don't call my baby a problem, Fang."

"I didn't mean it like that. Something about you guys is falling apart now that she's here. Clearly."

"Yeah, clearly."

Fang gave off the slightest hint of a smile. "I miss that, Max."

"Miss what?"

"How you don't care that I'm trying to be nice to you. You're going to be your mean self either way."

"Fang-"

"No, no. I rather enjoy it."

"Why?"

"Most girls fawn over me. I'm pretty much a big deal, Max. You don't know what you're missing."

"Fang-"

"And yet you, like, are completely unaffected by me."

"Yeah, I know."

"That makes you…different. Maybe it's because you actually know me."

"I do."

"You really do."

* * *

><p>By the time summer was winding down, Fang and Max had a ritual. Every night at ten, they would call one another and talk. So far, Max had been able to keep this from Ryan, but Fang didn't see it mattering much if she did or didn't, because the way he saw it, Ryan wouldn't be around much longer anyways.<p>

"You're not going out tonight?"

Fang sighed. "I had plans to, but…some things came up."

"What?"

"I don't know. Not for me. For her."

"That sucks."

Shrugging before remembering she couldn't see him, he told her that it didn't really matter much to him. Then he asked about her and Ryan.

"We haven't really been talking."

"Still?"

"Well, he's mad."

"About what?"

"You know what."

"Maybe I just like hearing you say it."

"Why?"

Because it proved that Fang was a way better man than Ryan. She broke it off with Fang for drinking, suspicion, and refusal of marriage. That had to all be looking pretty good to her about now.

"All he did was…Fang, shut up."

"He hasn't had a job in how long? And has been lying to you how long? And has being going to the strip club while he was 'working' how long?"

"If you don't stop, I'll hang up."

"I mean, think about it, Max. Sometimes he left for 'work' in the afternoon. There are some nasty looking women in strip clubs in the afternoons."

"Oh? How would you know about this?"

"Heard stories. You know men and their gossip."

"More like you've dated a few."

"Just slept with."

Max sighed. "It's not even that big of a deal. A lot of guys do that. It's not like he was cheating on me."

Fang grunted.

"He wasn't."

"Neither was I."

"We're not talking about you."

"Darn. You know how much I love that."

"It's because you're a narcissist."

"Can't help it."

Fang heard Max move on the bed and he wished that he could see it too.

"You know, Fang, Ethan really wants a dog."

"Really now?"

"Yeah. And I just had a baby, so it's out of the question for me."

"Obviously."

"I was thinking that you could-"

"Nope."

"Fang, he really wants one."

"And I really want to remember who I slept with last night, but-"

"Fang, seriously?"

"Actually, last night was spent video chatting with-"

"Enough."

"I was going to say Nudge."

"Oh."

"Yeah, feel bad, dirty mind."

"What did you guys talk about?" Max asked, ignoring his other comment.

"Just stuff. She and Rodney are good."

"That's good."

"Yeah, so good."

They were met with the dead moment in conversation where neither person wants to say anything else, but they don't want to hang up either.

"I guess I better go," Max said after a minute or so.

"If you have to."

"Well, I don't have to, but-"

"Then don't."

"Fang-"

"What I meant was, I have nothing to do and neither do you, so what's wrong with just talking?"

There was a lot wrong with 'just talking' and they both knew it, but were too hardheaded to stop.

"Fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"Why are you being so snappy tonight? I don't know what I want to talk about; I just know that I want to talk to you."

Max paused. "I talked to my mom this morning."

"Oh yeah? About what?"

"Life, I guess. We talked a little bit about everything. Oh, by the way, Ella's pregnant."

"Do share."

"I don't know who the father is."

"Why?"

"Neither does she."

"You mean your mom?"

"No, I mean Ella."

Fang smiled, laughing loudly. It was probably the alcohol that made him so gleeful about something that didn't really affect him anymore. "Ella? I didn't know that she-"

"No one did. She hides being a slut good."

"Max, that's your sister."

"Half. I accept the normal half."

"Can I have the slut half?"

"How much are you drinking?"

"Not enough," Fang mumbled, shaking his head a little.

"What's that noise in the background?"

"The music? Gaga and Britney Spears."

"Fang."

"It regulates my drinking, Max."

"…What?"

"I know that I've drank too much when it starts to sound good."

"You're such a loser."

"That's hurtful."

"I don't know if it's worse that you listen to them or the fact that you made a CD with them both on it. What else do you have on there? Ke$ha?"

"Please, she is so not even in the same league."

"Fang."

"What time is it? Do you know? I can't see straight to know what my clock says."

Max sighed a little. "It's half past eleven."

"In English, Max!"

"Eleven thirty and do not yell at me."

"Was I yelling? I couldn't tell."

"What's song on right now, Fang?"

"Some Britney song."

"How does it sound?"

"Amazing."

"Put down the Jameson."

* * *

><p>"What's wrong, Ethan?"<p>

He sighed. "I dunno, Dad. I woke up sad."

Fang did a double take. "You? Sad?"

"Well, not sad. Just…I don't wanna start school."

Fang ripped off part of his burger and gave it to his son. "Why? I thought you loved it?"

"I do, but…What if that thing happens?"

"What thing?"

"You know, the 2nd grade thing."

"Bud, I never went, so you'll need to inform me." What could he be talking about? No naptime?

"Where they pick one 2nd grader and sacrifice him to the recess gods to keep the school from burning to the ground!"

"What?"

"Bruce said-"

"Bruce!"

He walked out of his room. "Dad, I have a friend over, so I would appreciate it if-"

"What did you tell your brother?"

"I tell him a lot of things."

"Well, you better stop. Tell him that the 3rd grade-"

"2nd," Ethan interrupted.

"-2nd grade sacrifice isn't real."

Bruce frowned. "That?" Then, in a softer voice, he added, "Dad, I'm in there with a girl! This couldn't wait?"

"Don't tease your brother."

"That was, like, a month ago!"

"Still. You want me to go in there and make that girl leave? Better yet, call your mom and have her over here telling embarrassing stories?"

Sneering, he said, "Like you could ever get Mom over at your apartment."

"You're pushing it, Bruce."

"Fine." He looked at his brother. "There is no such thing as 2nd grade sacrifice. Only 3rd grade sacrifice."

"What?"

"Bruce!"

"Alright, alright. There's no such thing as either, brat."

Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."

"Now can I go?"

Fang nodded a little before turning back to his youngest. "He's just mean, Ethan."

"I know. He's always mean."

"It's because he's a big kid. They're always mean."

Ethan smiled a little. "Hey, Dad, guess what I did yesterday?"

He'd rather not. "What?"

"I watched Toy Story!"

Shocking.

"Did you?"

"Yeah."

Fang took a deep breath. "Son, I think there's something I should tell you. You're old enough now."

"What?"

"…There's a Toy Story 2."

His eyes got big. "What?"

"Yeah."

"Why did no one ever tell me?" He asked in disbelief.

Because they were afraid that they would be forced to watch it over and over also.

"I wanted to make sure that you got the full impact of number one."

"Can we watch it?"

"Sure. Wanna go out and buy it?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, alright."

Fang told Bruce they were leaving before they headed out to the car. As they were getting in, Ethan asked, "Is there a Toy Story 3?"

"No," Fang lied. He liked that movie and didn't want it ruined for him like the first and undoubtedly the second. Besides, sometimes you have to lie to your kids. It builds character.


	6. Chapter 6

Frayed

Chapter 6

"Here," Max said, putting a plate in front of Ethan.

"…Mom, I don't want this."

"Why not? You love waffles."

"They're burnt."

"Blame the toaster."

Ryan groaned before reaching over and taking the plate. "The boy doesn't have to eat burnt stuff. I'll make you better ones, Ethan."

"What? Like he's suddenly above burnt things? Besides, aren't you the one that always complains about how I treat my boys? Your father wouldn't have let you do that, would he? Huh? Ryan? Huh?"

"Enough." He slammed the freezer closed as he got out the box of Eggos. "How many you want, Ethan? Huh?"

"Two," he whispered.

"Well, what do you want me to do with the others?" Max asked, frowning at her boyfriend.

"Shove them in your mouth and shut up."

"I am so-"

"So what, Max? Huh? Tired? That's all you do is sleep."

"And all you do is take my money to go watch women take their tops off."

"In front of the boy, really?"

"He's my son to worry about, not yours."

"Your son? Then he should go live with Fang and the other one, because you're clearly not doing a good job."

"At least I'm not going out to-"

"Alright, Max, just keep repeating it incase Ethan didn't hear you the first time."

"I hope he hears me. I hope they all hear me. You're a perv, Ryan."

"How? Because I do the same thing as every other man?"

"Fang never did that."

"Sure."

"He didn't."

"Then porn must have kept him alive, because I'm certain it wasn't you."

The toast that popped a minute later broke the silence.

Ryan cleared his throat. "Your Eggos are done, Ethan."

"I'm not hungry," he mumbled, staring down at the table.

"Sure you are," Ryan said as Max left the room. She didn't know what happened from there as she went to Elizabeth's room to wake her up.

"Hi, baby," she mumbled, going to lift her out of the crib. After changing her diaper and feeding her, Max took her back with her into the kitchen.

Ethan was still eating, but Ryan was gone.

"It's your last Friday before school starts," Max told Ethan as she started to make her own breakfast.

"I know. I get to go be with Dad!"

Elizabeth whined for a second, not yet used to her half brother's loudness. Max kissed the baby's head.

"That'll be fun."

"Yeah."

She sighed a little. "Ethan, where did Ryan go?"

"He left the house. He didn't say where he was going. When's Dad gonna be here?"

"Soon. Hurry and eat."

When his father honked, Ethan hurriedly hugged his mother before rushing away, leaving her alone for the weekend. Not alone. She had Ellie.

"What do you want to do today? Huh?" She headed towards the master bathroom. Setting the baby on the counter, Max began to comb her hair. Elizabeth watched her mother groom herself for a moment before noticing the mirror. Lying on her stomach, she started to pat at it, interested in the baby that was staring back at her.

"Are you having fun?" Max asked as she absent mindedly turned on the sink to brush her teeth. "Huh?"

She made a noise, but didn't look away from the mirror. Max smiled a little before grabbing her daughter.

"Come on. Let's go do laundry."

* * *

><p>Fang yawned a little. "I dunno, Max, maybe you're being too hard on him."<p>

"I must be if you're sympathetic."

Sighing a little, he said, "I just think you guys need to grow up a little. You do have a kid together now. You're stuck."

"I am not. I can leave him."

"But you won't."

"What makes you say that?"

"You have no reason to. He didn't do anything."

"Neither did you, right? That's what you always say."

"But you didn't believe me. You believe him."

"What makes you think that?"

"Come on, Max, who else would fuck him?"

She let out a little groan as she rolled onto her back. "You're not helping any, Fang."

"To be perfectly honest, I don't want you guys together."

"That's honesty? I thought that was obviously?"

"The point is, don't just act like a jerk to him over something that neither of you can change."

"Still. He walks around with an attitude like I should have expected it."

"Shouldn't you have? No one works that much."

"Shut up."

"They don't. He's just using you."

"A second ago you wanted me to stay with him, Fang."

"That was before the Jameson set in."

She frowned. "What are you listening to now?"

"Bruno Mars."

"Sound good yet?"

"Not really."

Ellie made a noise from her room and Max got up to see what was wrong. As she was headed that way, she said, "Where's Ethan?"

"In bed. Bruce is out at a friend's though."

"You let him leave the house too much."

"I could say the same about Ryan."

"You're so funny, Fang."

"Thanks." He paused to take a drink, or so she assumed. "So what are you doing right now?"

"The baby needs her diaper changed."

"That's something I will never miss having to do."

"Oh, as if you did it that often."

"I did it enough to know that I would never want to do it again."

Max tended to the baby before putting her back in her crib and heading back to her own room.

"What are you and Ethan doing tomorrow?"

"He wants to go to the park, so there's that."

"Did you watch Toy Story tonight?"

"Yep. Tomorrow is the 2nd one."

"When are you going to tell him there's a 3rd?"

"Never, if possible."

Max giggled a little. "Fang?"

"What?"

"I think I should go now."

"How come? It's not even that late."

"I know, but I'm tired."

"Talk to me until you get so tired you can't keep your eyes open."

"There's nothing else to talk about."

"There never is. Please, Max?"

"You sound desperate."

"I am."

"You're also drunk."

"Just buzzed."

"No, I can tell by your voice. You're drunk."

"Even if I am, so what?"

"What if Ethan needed you?"

"I'm just as useful drunk as I am sober."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Oh, so now you're okay with saying 'I do'?"

Fang sighed. "Seriously, Max?"

"What? It's just a question."

"Yeah, just a question."

Max laid back down in bed and closed her eyes. "I'm tired, Fang."

"I'm not."

"Yeah, but I am. Goodnight."

"If you really have to go..."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye," he said before hanging up.

Max laid there for awhile, staring at the darkness that consumed her bedroom. She really wanted Ryan to get home. She didn't like to be alone.

* * *

><p>When Fang moved out, there was a huge blow up and then he just didn't come home again. He told people that she kicked him out, but she honestly didn't. Maybe in his drunken subconscious, he knew that she didn't want him there and that was how she kept him away, but she never told him he couldn't come back. He just never did.<p>

That's what she was expecting from Ryan. A fight. A big one. It just never came.

One day, he stayed out all night and all of the next day. Then he did it again. And again. Eventually, he made his way to a week. Then two weeks. A month. Then, he didn't come back at all. It's not like she wasn't expecting it though, right?

Ethan asked about him a lot. Eventually, he too stopped though. She figured that Fang told him to. She didn't really care if he asked or not. It wasn't like Max really knew where he went. Just that every Tuesday, he came by to pick up Ellie. He took her for the day, brought her back around seven, and never said a word to Max. She liked it that way. Words just complicate things. Words start wars, destroy relationships, and hurt feelings. A world without words is something to aim for.

There was one thing she liked to have words for though.

"Hey, Fang."

"Hey. What are you doing right now?"

"Laundry. You? No, wait, let me guess. Drinking?"

"Ha, but no."

"You sure? What music are you listening to right now? Owl City?"

"No. No matter how much I drink I will never like them. Now, Taylor Swift-"

"Then what are you doing?"

"Cleaning."

"No, really, what?"

"Watching TV."

"What are you watching?"

"Just flipping through channels."

"It's so quiet around here with Ethan in school," Max said as Elizabeth began her trek of crawling across the floor for the door. "Liz!"

The baby giggled, but did stop crawling.

"I know. Same with Bruce." Fang yawned a little.

"Late night?"

"Kind of. You?"

"The baby was fine."

"The baby, Max? I believe we've gone over this. Her name is Elizabeth."

"Shut up, Fang. At least I woke up in my home."

"I came back home before morning. I left her place around midnight."

"Whatever."

"Jealous, Max?"

"Of you?"

"No, of all the fun that I get to have."

"Hardly. Meaningless one nightstands don't interest me in the slightest."

"Meaningless? I'll have you know that I cherish every one of them."

"I am rather bored these days, I'll give you that."

"How can you be bored when you have a baby? They're tons of fun, right?"

"As if. I mean, I love her, but…I wish I could really be single."

"What do you mean?"

"You can just give me the boys and go out and live life. I don't have that. I constantly have to keep myself in check."

"Ha! So you do want one nightstands."

"I didn't say that."

"That's what you meant."

"You can't tell me what I-"

"…Max? You okay? Max?"

"I'm fine. I tripped."

"Over what?"

"Toys." She sat up, dusting herself off.

"Did you land on the baby?"

"Yes, Fang. And I just now said something about it."

"…I was being helpful."

"I'm sure," she said as Elizabeth crawled over to see what was wrong.

"You're very mean to me sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

"That's what I'm saying."

Sighing, Max reached out and ran a hand down Eliie's face. "I have to go, Fang."

"Why?"

"I'm going to go make lunch."

"What are you eating?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"Well, I was going to go get a burger. We could-"

"Fang-"

"Not together, Max. I could get one and bring you one by. Can the b- I mean, Elizabeth eat one yet?"

"No, Fang. She's only six months."

"…Right. Well, do you want one? Or a couple?"

"Hmmm?"

"You have to eat a lot, Max."

"You always worry about how much I eat and I hate it."

"Well, I love y- food, and want you to feel the same about it."

"What?"

"I said that I love food and want you to have some."

Frowning, she got off the ground, lifting Elizabeth up in one arm, holding the phone to her ear with one shoulder, and grabbing the laundry basket with the other hand.

"Fang, you're starting to get too close."

"Close to what? Max, I'm trying to nourish you!"

"Stop yelling at me. What is up with you and yelling? You sound like Ethan. He always feels the need to yell his last sentence."

"I do not do that."

"You do when you get very into whatever your saying."

"So what if I'm 'very into' nourishing you? Someone has to be. You're going to try and lose all your pregnancy weight too fast and do that thing you did after Ethan was born."

"What thing?"

"Where you don't eat. Max, you got sent to the hospital, remember? Don't do that again."

"I'm not."

"Then you won't have a problem with me bringing you f-"

"Fine, Fang! God."

"…Now who's yelling?"

"Just get here."

* * *

><p>"I need a Halloween costume!"<p>

"Ethan, stop yelling," Max complained as he walked into the house. Fang had picked him up for her that day. "I'm right h- Fang."

"Hi." He walked in with more food. "Hungry?"

"Fang, you just brought me food before-"

"You were here without me?" Ethan looked up at Fang. "Why?"

"Me and your mom-"

"Fang, shut up. Ethan, it's not important."

Elizabeth looked up at Ethan as he sat down next to her on the floor.

"You'd of told Bruce," he mumbled as Liz patted his leg.

"Well, if you're not going to eat it, Max, there's no reason for me and Ethan not to. Come on, Ethan. Food."

"Fang, go home," Max said.

"No, I'll just-"

"Fang, I'm serious. Get out."

His face fell. "Max, I'm trying to take care of you."

"I know. Fang, I think that you think that I've been leading you on and that was not my intention."

"Where'd she lead you to? You been taking trips without me?" Ethan shook his head.

Fang set his jaw. After setting the food on the ground, he turned and walked out of the house.

"Bye, Dad!"

Max closed her eyes. "Ethan, stop yelling."

* * *

><p>Things were at a standstill for a month or two. Fang didn't call her anymore. She didn't call him either. They went back to what they were. They were playing with a fireball and it finally burned them. What else were they expecting?<p>

It was about time for Thanksgiving break when she just gave up. Maybe it was Ryan leaving combined with the fact that she had just had a baby or that she had once again pushed Fang out of her life, but whatever the reason, Max was done.

"Mom? It's time for school."

She groaned, not moving from her spot on the bed. She really needed a new bed, now that she was alone. It was too big for just her.

"Mom?"

"Go away, Ethan."

"But I have to-"

"Go."

It was twenty minutes later that Bruce was there.

"Mom? Ethan called Dad. We came to check on you. Are you sick?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Just take Ethan to school and pick him up after."

"But-"

"Leave, Bruce."

It wasn't for another two hours that Max got up. When she did, it was because Elizabeth was crying. After changing and feeding her, Max left again, putting the baby back in her crib. She didn't get up again until six and that was to answer her phone.

"Hello?"

"Mom?"

Gag. "What, Bruce?"

"Are you really okay?"

"Did your father make you call?"

"No. He and Ethan are out getting dinner," he said, sounding offended. "I called because I'm worried about you. Are you sick? Ethan said that you've been upset the past few days."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. ...Did Ryan do something to you?"

"What? No. I haven't even talked to him for awhile."

"He's not coming to get Elizabeth?"

"No. He stopped."

"Oh."

She sighed, sitting up. "What do you want, Bruce?"

"I just wanted to make sure that you're okay."

"I am."

"But…Mom, what if I come home?"

She frowned. "What?"

"I want to come home and live with you again. I'll do all my chores, clean my room, and help with the baby. I won't call her the spawn of Satan anymore. Promise."

She hadn't known about the last one.

"Bruce…don't do something that you don't want to for me."

"I want to be with you, Mom. I want to stay with you and help you."

"What do you want to do for me, Bruce?"

"Help you with the baby. That's what's wrong, right? The baby? I'll come home and look after it."

"There's nothing wrong, Bruce."

"Don't lie to me, Mom."

"Don't talk back to me."

"Then don't treat me like Ethan! I know that you're upset and I know that you need me. I don't care what made you that way. I just want to be there for you. So can I please come home?"

"Bruce-"

"Fine! If you don't want me, fine!" He hung up. Max almost called back, but didn't. He was just doing it because his dad put him up to it. He'd get over it.

* * *

><p>Max was sleeping when she felt a presence in the room. She opened her eyes quickly to come face to face with Fang.<p>

"What are you doing here?" She sat up, backing towards the headboard.

"I came to check on you."

"What? Get out!"

"Max, you made Bruce upset."

"Fang-"

"He was almost crying, Max. He doesn't cry. You haven't seen him in two weeks."

"He never comes over here."

"Every time he tries to, you never get out of bed. Max, if you're sick, you need to tell me now."

"I'm not sick."

"Then what, huh? What would make you just ignore your kids like that?"

She closed her eyes, head faced down. "It's just…Fang, I can't deal with it anymore!"

"Deal with what?" He took a step back.

"This. All of this. I can't pay for this stupid home by myself. I'm going to have to sell it. The baby cries all the time. And when I finally get her quiet, what does Ethan do? Yell! Yell! He always yells!"

"Max-"

"Then Bruce is always in his stupid, angsty teenager mood and I don't have the energy to deal with it. Then what do you do, but take them over to your place and show them how easy it is to be a parent. How much fun it is. How simple. It's not simple, Fang. You make them think that so that they think that I'm just not trying hard enough. I am, Fang. I'm trying as hard as possible. I can't do it alone!"

"You're not alone, Max."

"Yes, I am. I don't have you. I've never had you. You're always _drunk_. I don't have Ryan. I don't have him, but I've got his baby. I'm not good enough for him. I'm not sexy enough. I'm not hot enough. I'm not _beautiful_ enough."

Fang moved closer. "You are plenty beautiful-"

"Don't play me, Fang. I'm not one of your sluts that just wants to be able to say that they hooked up with one of the birdkids."

"I never would ever call you a slut."

"Shut up." She met his eyes. "Just get out."

"Not until I figure out what happened to the mother of my children. You were fine one day and then the next, you flip out at me!"

"Are you seriously still on that? You're not here for your kids, you're here for us."

"I'm here for you. I'm here to fix you, Max. If I did this, then I'm sorry."

"Did this? Did what?"

"Made you not want to get out of bed. Not want to deal with your kids."

"Whatever. You're loving this, Fang."

"How do you figure?"

"Now you can tell the judge that I'm unfit and take the boys, right?"

"I'm not you."

She stared at him. "What?"

"I'm not you. I would never take them from you like you tried to me. I wouldn't do something that could hurt the boys just to get back at you. I love them too much."

"Then leave, Fang."

"No. Max, you're really not getting this, are you?" He moved closer once again, within touching distance. "I'm here to…I don't know. Be with you."

"Be with me how?"

"Be with you to make you better."

"You mean screw me until I-"

"That's not what I meant. I meant be with you like…talk to you tonight."

"Talk?"

"Yes, what we're doing right now. I want to let you vent. That's what you need, right? To vent? Go for it. I'm all ears. I always have been."

She looked at him hard, as if studying his motives. "If that's all, then I'm sorry."

Nodding, he said, "But…if something else were to happen-"

"F-"

"No, no. I said if. I don't plan on it. Do you?"

"No."

"Then, there we have it." Slowly with extreme caution, he started to move to get on the bed.

"Fang, I am-"

"Shhh. No seriously, Max, nothing bad." He held up his hands and she relaxed.

"Then what? We can talk in the living room."

"I don't just want to talk, Max. I want to be sure that you're okay." He reached out and ran his hand over her arms. Max was tense. What was he doing? "Lay on your stomach."

Searching his eyes for a moment for ulterior motives, she found none and did as asked. Fang roamed his hands up and down the back side of her body before focusing on her upper arms.

This reminded her of right after Bruce was born. Fang had been having a hard time and was at the height of his drinking career. They were fighting constantly and Max was about ready to call it quits. About then, every night after she put baby Bruce to bed, Fang would come into the bedroom with her, drunk out of his mind, and give her the best massages. It almost made her love his drinking.

"Relax, Max. It's just me. Same old me, same old you."

"You been drinking?"

"No."

"Then it's not the same old you."

"Fine. New me. Whatever." He kissed the back of her head without thinking, making them both freeze. Max groaned a little after a minute though.

"Keep going, Fang."

She felt his breathing on her neck and knew that he had to take a deep breath first. She shifted a little when he started to move away from her arms and shoulders and down to her back.

He messed around for a second with her shirt on before slipping his hands under it. "Can I?"

She had nothing holding her back, right? She wasn't with Ryan anymore. Who was stopping her?

Nodding a little bit, she mumbled a yes and Fang quickly pushed it up, over her wings.

"All the way?"

"No."

He continued on, not seeming to care either way. "Open your wings, Max."

She did so and he started to rub under them for a moment before moving towards them. He seemed to enjoy playing with her wings before going back to just her back. It went on for awhile, him rubbing her. She was the most comfortable she had felt in forever when he spoke.

"Max?"

"Hmmm?"

"Turn around for me?"

He was straddling her back so when she turned, he was face to face with her. Her shirt still slightly pushed up, he could see her bra. He tried to turn his eyes away, but he couldn't.

"Max…" He moved to grab her breasts, squeezing a little. He expected her to move, push him off, punch him. Something. Instead, she moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck. Taking this as a good sign, Fang went ahead and took the night where she knew that he always planned. He had been lying before. Could she really blame him though?

* * *

><p>When Max woke up, the first thing she did was look to her right to see the alarm clock to check the time. The only thing was she couldn't. Fang was blocking her view.<p>

Sitting up a little to see over him, she saw that it was three in the morning.

"Fang. Fang."

He grunted.

"You didn't leave the boys home alone, did you?"

He mumbled something about friends and houses before falling silent again. Max sat there for a minute or two, staring at his back, before standing up. She pulled on her underwear before going to check on the baby.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Elizabeth was laying awake, having waited for her mom apparently. Max changed her before rocking her back to sleep. When she got back to the bedroom, Fang wasn't in bed. Frowning, she got back into it and tried to wait for him, but fell asleep in the process.

When he got back into bed, she felt him. She had accidentally done something she had gotten used to over the past few months since Ryan had been gone and that was stretching her wings out across the whole bed. It was just more comfortable that way.

"Max," he mumbled, pushing her right wing up slightly. She retracted it a little, but didn't pull it all the way in. "Go to the bathroom and you try to push me out of the bed."

"Sorry."

"Shhh."

He started to stroke the wing in a way that only he could. The first time she showed Ryan her wings, he was nervous about how to deal with them. He used to be too gentle. When she complained about it, he started to treat them like they weren't attached to her at all and was rather rough. Fang wasn't that way though. He knew what it was like to have wings and what felt good and what didn't.

"Fang?"

"Go to sleep."

She closed her eyes. "Thank you."

"For?"

"…Nothing."

He kissed her wing. Ryan never did that. He made jokes about getting a disease from them.

"I missed you, Max."

"…I love you, Fang."


	7. Chapter 7

Frayed

Chapter 7

Fang opened his eyes slowly. As soon as he did, he groaned. Who did he hook up with now?

When he looked to the left, he froze. Slowly, the night came back to him. Max. Massage. Wings. He made a face. He kissed her wings, for some reason he remembered that. Disease much? Smiling a little, he laid there for a second more, thinking, before standing.

Max groaned in her sleep before rolling over. He watched her for a second, thinking. He could leave now and she couldn't hold it against him. That thought made him stop. All this time, he had been working to get back into Max's life, her bed, and now that he had it, he was afraid.

He was pulling up his jeans when he heard a crying from the other room. Frowning, he realized that it was the baby. He left the room to go check on it, not wanting Max to wake up.

When he got there, the baby was still whining. Staring at it up close for the first time, he found that he didn't particularly hate it as much as he feared. That was good.

"What do you want? Did you use the restroom?"

He was in the middle of changing her diaper, which within itself should show how much he cares for Max, when her mother walked in.

"Fang?"

"I tried to let you sleep," he sighed, still working on the diaper. "This is horrible, Max. Here, you do it."

She smiled at him, walking over. "Your phone was going off."

Leaving the room, he headed back to hers to get it. It was Bruce.

"Where are you?"

"Out. Why?"

"I came home and you're not here."

"I'll be there soon," Fang said. "If your brother calls you, tell him too."

After hanging up, Fang was pulling on a shirt when Max came in.

"We need to talk."

Fang slipped his hands into his pockets, feeling around for something. "What's there to talk a- Max!"

"What?"

"Where is it?" He started to search all over the room.

"Where's what?"

"The picture!"

Max frowned. "You still have-"

"Not now! Did you touch it?"

"No. You must have left it at-"

"I take it everywhere, Max."

She gave him a look. "Well, that's crazy and creepy."

"I'm glad to see you're in a good mood again," he said, getting down on his hands and knees to look under the bed. "Maybe I did leave it..."

"I hope so. How do you pick up women when you have another woman's picture in your pocket?"

"I don't show it to them."

Max sat back down on the bed, staring at him. "So…"

"So what?"

"So now what?"

"Now what what?"

"Fang."

He sighed as he stood up. "I don't know, Max."

"Was this a onetime thing?"

"It doesn't have to be."

"I'm not into that, Fang."

"I didn't mean it that way. I meant I want to be in a relationship with you again. I want you to be the only one."

"But is it going anywhere?"

"Where else is there to go, Max? Why do we have to get married to be together?"

"Because that's how I want to live, Fang."

"What does it mean, huh? I would love you just as much without it. Would you not me?"

"That's beside the point."

"I'm not a conformist."

"Who called you one?" She shook her head at him. "Fang, everyone these days either doesn't marry or divorces. By getting married and staying that way, you are going against the curve."

"Still."

"I'm not getting into a relationship with you if-"

"Max, I'm not going to marry you right off the bat regardless. If it didn't work last time, chances are that it won't now. We need to see how things go."

"Things aren't going anywhere, apparently."

He groaned. "Fine. I'll marry you eventually. Happy?"

"You don't mean it and you know it. No, Fang, I'm not happy."

Taking a step closer to her, he said, "What can I do to make you happy then, huh? If I say that yes, I will now, you won't believe me no matter what. What do you want me to do, Max? I would like to know."

"Fang, I didn't mean for last night to happen."

"Then what? Because I might not have came over here with the intention, but the second it took off I sure wasn't going to stop it."

"Fang."

"What? Huh? I want to be with you, Max. You said that Ryan didn't find you sexy, but I do. I think it's very sexy how you try to hide your beauty. I think you're sexy when you ruffle your wings when you get mad."

"I do not."

"Not on purpose, I'm sure, but you do."

"Fang-"

"I think you're pretty. And kind. And that you want what's best for our boys. I think that you know in the back of your head that we belong together. We just do. I'm there for your. I always am. Do I drink? Yes. Do I drink a lot? Yes. But it helps me deal. Do I have a phobia of marriage? Maybe, but I never had someone to show me how good it is. I've never seen good come of it. And was I talking to that woman? Yes, Max, but never anything that wasn't business related. You know that she was just a scapegoat for you to argue with me." Fang took a deep breath before clearing his throat. "That's all I have to say."

She shifted a little on the bed, still watching him. "I…Okay."

Fang gave a weak smile. "Okay? All that and all you can say is okay?"

"Alright?"

Walking over to her, he took her face into his hands. "I love- My photo!"

She frowned; looking towards the direction he was and saw it lying on the bed. "It must have fallen out last night."

"Must have," he mumbled, picking it up with one hand while keeping the other on her face still. Stroking her cheek with his thumb, he put the photo back in his pocket. "You think the boys will be happy?"

Max reached one hand up and held his hand to her face with it. "I don't know. I don't care."

"My lease is still on the apartment. I'm not going to break it."

"I don't want you to. Yet. Stay there."

"I can come and visit here. Some nights."

"Some nights," Max echoed.

"Have you seen my apartment before?"

"Once. Just stood outside it."

"I'll show you around. You should really visit the bedroom."

"Big bed?"

"Huge bed. Only been used by me."

"Shut up. Is that the line you use on everyone one?"

"No. I don't take girls back to my place. Bruce is there. Besides, I don't want women knowing where I live."

"Am I the exception?"

Kissing her head, he took his time removing his lips. "The only exception."

* * *

><p>"I love you," he said even though it sounded more like why dove shoe because he had food in his mouth.<p>

"I love you too."

Ethan laughed, looking up at his dad. "You do?"

"Stop talking with your mouth full, bud. You'll make Mom yell at us."

"I can't help it. I just wanted to tell you that I love you."

"I know, but she doesn't think that way."

"Don't tell him what I think," Max said, frowning over at them. "And be quiet. I'm trying to watch Toy Story."

Ethan giggled again. "I love Toy Story."

"We know," Fang said, patting his son on the head. "You love a lot of stuff, Ethan."

"I know."

Max sighed, watching as Woody tried to convince Buzz he was toy. "I'm hungry."

"Bruce'll order a pizza. Bruce!"

When he got no answer, Fang stood up to go find the boy. Today was being spent at Max's house and Fang was happy about that. He liked spending time with his family. The only problem was, Bruce refused to be a part of the family togetherness.

Fang was walking towards the boy's room when he heard talking. Bruce's door was halfway open, his voice floating into the hallway. Debating with himself for a second, Fang decided to take a listen. He was a parent after all. He had a right to know things…right?

"-and I just don't get how this is at all fair. They're going to sit there and pretend to be happy for awhile before they can't take it anymore and break up again. Then what? It's not fair to Ethan. They got his hopes up. I mean, he's not even living here! I wish they'd just hurry this charade up." He paused. "Of course I don't want them together. All he does is drink and all she does is sulk. They're horrible together and just make my life harder by being together."

Bruce kept talking on his cell, but Fang didn't want to hear it. When he got back to the living room, Max asked him what was wrong.

"Uh…nothing. Bruce was sleeping. I'll order."

She shrugged before looking back down at Elizabeth, who was napping in her lap. "I'm going to put the baby to bed. She's been sleepy all day. Say goodnight, Ethan."

"Goodnight," he said, laughing when Fang sat back down next to him. Fang made a face.

"What?"

"I just like being with you."

Leaning down, Fang hugged his youngest to him. "I know."

After ordering the pizza, Fang left Ethan alone and went off in search of his girlfriend, who had yet to come back.

"Max?" He opened her bedroom door. "What are you doing?"

"I don't want to watch Toy Story."

"You could have just said something."

"I didn't want to make Ethan upset."

"Is that possible?" He leaned against the doorframe, watching her as she laid in bed. It two weeks since their hookup and it was the day before Thanksgiving, Fang's holiday with the boys. Now that they were back together though, he wasn't sure what they were going to do.

"I would suppose so. Everyone has their breaking point."

Fang nodded a little. "I'm, uh, going to head out now. I left money for the pizza."

"You're not staying for dinner?"

"I need to get…out for awhile."

"You mean drink."

"I do."

"Then I guess it is best if you do go."

"No kiss?"

"Come here."

Fang walked over slowly, not really wanting to leave, but also needing to feed his addiction. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Pulling away, he said, "I'll see you later."

"'kay."

He kissed her again. "I want you so bad right now."

"Fang."

"I do." He moved to kiss her again. "So bad."

She stared up into his eyes, knowing that if she looked down, she'd see something she didn't want to at the moment. "Well, the boys are all up and the pizza's coming."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow's Thanksgiving."

"Ryan's taking Elizabeth, right?"

"So he says, yeah."

"That's one down. The boys…I was just going to take them out to eat. They can go be with friends, right?"

"Wrong. It's a holiday."

"Not an important one."

"It sure was when you wanted custody."

Fang made a face. Not being able to hookup with someone when he wanted was one of the downsides of being exclusive with someone.

"Then what, Max? Because I need this."

"You sure need a lot."

"Max."

"Go, Fang. I can't help you. You either stay, wait for the boys to fall asleep or leave and go drink."

Fang walked out of the room and went to Bruce's. This time, he didn't stop to eavesdrop.

"A pizza will be here in a few minutes. Money's on the coffee table. Make Ethan eat."

Bruce didn't looking away from his phone, which he was now texting on, but did nod. Fang went back to the master bedroom.

"Fixed the problem."

"How?"

"Shower. Me and you. Now."

"What?"

Fang nodded. That's what he missed about Max and fanaticized about the most, her going down on him in the shower. They did it all the time when they were younger. Man, he missed those days…

"What? No. That's you're solution?"

"Uh, yeah."

"No."

"Why?" Fang gave her a worried glance. "I mean, if you don't give head anymore-"

"So not a conversation we're having right now." Max got up and walked to the door. Fang frowned, following her back to the living room.

"What are you doing?" Ethan asked Max.

"Dad's leaving."

"He ain't gonna eat any pizza?"

"Nope," Max said before turning to face him, arms crossed. "Right, Fang?"

"Please, Dad? We can watch Toy Story 2! And you can sleep in my room. I'll even give you my bed."

He wanted Max's bed. "Ethan, I…Max, are you sure?"

"About the…thing?"

"Yeah."

"Are you seriously asking?" She opened the door. "Goodbye, F-"

"Twenty dollars eighty-five cents," the pizza boy said, who happened to be standing on the other side.

Ethan jumped up and handed his father the money on the table before running off to go get his brother. Fang paid for the pizza before taking the pizzas to the kitchen, Max following.

"Do I really have to leave?"

"Did you really think I was going to screw you in the shower while they ate dinner?"

"…Is this a trick question?"

She opened on of the boxes of pizza. "…We're not having sex tonight. Tomorrow, you are going to take the boys to dinner. Whatever else happens depends on what happens today."

"…Can I drink?"

"Can you?"

"Do you have any Jameson here? Jack?"

"No."

"If I leave, can I come back?"

"Not if you're drinking and driving."

"If I'm not?"

"Then I suppose you could come here tonight."

"And drink?"

"I don't know. Depends on how much."

Fang sighed. "Max."

"What? You have qualifications for getting back with me, right? I have some for you."

"What do I ever ask of you?"

"You just-"

"We have to hurry! The movie's still on!"

They both frowned as Ethan came barreling into the room, his older brother right behind him.

"I like pizza," he told Fang as he went to get some. "I love it."

"I know," he mumbled. "Bud, I'll be back, okay? I need to run by my apartment for something."

Ethan looked a little down. "What if you miss the movie?"

"We still have all of the second one, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Fang was quick at his apartment, grabbing a bottle of Jameson and a change of clothes before going back to Max's house.

"You missed the movie for beer?" Ethan asked, frowning.

Whiskey, but yes.

"Clothes."

"That's not good. You missed when Buzz and Woody get back to all the other toys."

"Ethan…we watch it all the time. I know what happens."

Ethan gasped. "Are you saying that you don't want to watch it?"

"Well-"

"Then leave! Tell him, Mom. He and Bruce can both go, since Bruce thinks he's too good for Toy Story too."

Max sighed. "Ethan."

"Where is Bruce?" Fang asked.

"In his room, eating." She frowned as Fang sat down next to her. "Aren't you going to get food?"

"I'm sharing with you," he said, ripping the crust off one of her pieces. Max smiled a little, allowing it.

"Don't let him, Mom!"

Ethan…

* * *

><p>Fang was laying in bed, drinking, when Max came back from tending to the baby.<p>

"Seriously?"

"What? You said I could."

"In my bed?"

He nodded his head.

"Straight from the bottle."

"Have you ever known me to do it any other way?"

"It wasn't a question, Fang, it was a statement."

"Come get in bed with me."

"Why?"

"I want to be near you."

"Trying to cop a feel?"

"Is it working?"

"I told you no for tonight."

He took another chug. "I'm gonna finish this bottle if you don't at least give me a kiss."

"I can do that."

"You could do a lot more."

"Maybe we will. What did you have in mind?"

"Mind? Babe, my mind is so gone right now."

"I can tell. Did you seriously just call me babe?"

"I'm drunk."

"No, you're not. Not yet, anyways. It takes more than a few sips to get you drunk."

"Does it?" He smiled sleepily. "Ethan wanted me to sleep in his room."

"Not smelling of whiskey."

"Irish whiskey, Max."

"Even better."

* * *

><p>"What is this?"<p>

Fang opened his door a little bit more, frowning. "Hey, Max, the boys-"

"No. Me and you need to talk. Now."

Glancing at the magazine in her hands, he started to backtrack. "I don't-"

"Alone," Max said, pushing her way in. Going over to the couch, she handed Elizabeth to Ethan, who was watching TV.

"Watch her," she said before grabbing Fang's hand and leading him to his bedroom, which she had become quite accustom to in the past weeks.

"M-"

"Shush." She turned to look at him once the door was closed behind them. "I was in line at the store, buying the stuff for Bruce's birthday party, when I look over at the magazine rack and see this! Fang, you screwed me over!"

"Did I screw you? Yes. Multiple times. But I did not screw you over."

She held up the magazine. "Then what do you call this?"

"You being self-centered and buying something with your face on it?"

"Fang!"

On the cover of the magazine was a picture of them. Fang had his arm around her shoulders as he led her into his apartment building. He knew the photo in the sense that he was sober enough to take Max back to his place that night, but not enough to know that it existed.

"Max, you know that I have…more fame than you. After our breakup, I came into the limelight hard, especially with all those women coming out and saying that they had been with me." He could tell that mentioning past hookups was not winning him any brownie points with her and changed the subject. "I didn't know that someone was taking pictures of us that night. I didn't."

"Fang, this makes me look like a slut." She flipped through the pages and showed him the actual article over them with more pictures. They showed her leaving his apartment, alone, no longer in her jeans, but his sleep pants. Fang could tell it made her angry, but couldn't tell why.

"So people know that we have sex. Who cares? I don't. I really don't. Let the world know. Tell them all." He reached out and pulled her to him so that he could give her a kiss. "By the way, though, I want those pants back. It gets cold over here."

"Fang."

He smiled at her. "Besides, you did nothing wrong. The boys were with friends, the baby was with her dad that night. What's the problem? The only one I can find is that you didn't stay the whole night, which I would have loved."

"Stop."

"No, seriously. You did nothing wrong."

"That story says I did. Read it."

"It's a tabloid, Max. Your story is right next to the monkey that gave birth to a cat. Anyone intelligent knows that you did nothing wrong."

"Still. I don't want Bruce to see it. Or Ethan. What if their friends tease them?"

"Because their parents love each other? If that's something to be teased about, neither of us ever have to worry."

"Who said I loved you?"

"You."

"Did I? Maybe I took some of your Jackson."

"It's Jameson and you know it!"

"See? That was a total Ethan move. I offended your most prized possession and you got upset. Same with him and Toy Story."

Fang snorted. "I love Jack and Jameson way more than-"

"You better not say the boys."

"I was going to say than he loves Toy Story."

"Sure."

"I was!"

"Again, the yelling."

"…I'll try to chill out some."

"Please do."

* * *

><p>At Bruce's birthday party, Fang was so hungry…for sex and beer. Max was being her normal self though and avoiding him. It's not like they could do anything at the moment…could they? No, no. He would not push it that far…maybe a few more beers…<p>

"Stop drinking," Max said, snatching the can from his hand. "You're going to embarrass him."

The party was in their backyard. What could be more embarrassing?

"Last one. Promise."

"No."

Grumbling, he left the backyard and went back into the house. Ethan, who had been banned from the party, was in there with Dr. Martinez, who had come down for Christmas. She was staying for the two weeks until then. Fun.

"Ethan, sweetie, haven't we seen this movie before?" She was asking as Fang came into the living room.

He looked at his grandmother in horror. "It's Toy Story, Grandma. We have to watch it!"

Fang looked around. "Where's the baby?"

"Elizabeth? Bruce and some girl came in here and took her," the vet said.

If Fang cared, he would be worried about what horrible things high school kids could do to a baby, i.e. ritualistic torture. If he cared, that is.

"Well, someone should go get her," was the extent of his concern.

"I'm sure she's fine with Bruce. He loves her. She's his sister."

Spawn of Satan. He calls her the spawn of Satan.

"I left something out there," Fang said, turning around. Neither of the people in there was paying attention, instead focusing on the movie that seemed to perpetually being played around Ethan. When he got out there, Max was gone, probably in the front yard, talking on her cell phone. Bruce and his guy friends were hanging out next to the basketball goal, talking and texting on their phones. The only girls invited, however, were in their own circle on the ground. Hmmm…Baby…

"Bruce!" Fang came running over to him and grabbed the boy. "Stop tort- texting. You're texting."

Bruce shoved his father off him. "What the fuck is your problem?"

Fang straightened. "What's yours?"

"Dude, you're dad's drunk."

Fang sniffed. "Don't curse at me, Bruce. Where's your sister?"

"The spawn? I ain't got her. Those chicks do."

"What?"

Bruce shoved into his father as he walked by and headed over to the girls. They were sitting on the grass in a circle, talking. In one of their laps sat Elizabeth.

"Let me see her, Julie," he said to the girl and she gave the baby up. Bruce turned to his father.

"See? God."

Fang was kind of…humiliated. Wow. He needed more beer. When he drank beer, it didn't have as strong of affect on him as whiskey. Max bought him a bunch of it and said that he could only drink whiskey before bed. Women…

"Stupid drunk," Bruce mumbled under his breath, an unreadable expression on his face.

"G…Give the me the baby."

"No. She's better off with me than you and I hate her."

"Give her, Bruce."

"No!" He looked around and saw that everyone was looking at them. Why was his dad embarrassing him like this? In a lower tone, he said, "Dad, just leave me alone."

"I will if you give me-"

"Fine!" He shoved her into Fang's hands. "Just…go inside with Ethan."

Looking down at the baby, Fang saw that she was staring back at him wide eyed. He tries to be nice and look what happens.

"Thanks a lot, stupid baby," he told it as he took it inside. "You ruin everything."

She patted his face, making him even angrier.

"I need more beer," he told it before putting it down on the floor of the kitchen. The seven month old tried to crawl away from him, but his yelling stopped her.

"Can't you just sit there?"

"Fang? What's wrong?" Dr. Martinez came into the room. "Are you alright?"

He took a deep breath as he took a beer can out of the fridge. Popping it open, he took a sip, but it didn't please him. He finally turned and threw it against the wall. "Jack. All I want is my fucking Jack!"

Of course Mad had to walk in then. Of course she had to accuse him of things. It was her that caused this anyways. Switching him over to beer. Pah! She got what she was asking for.


	8. Chapter 8

Frayed

Chapter 8

"Not now, Mom."

"Max, he's clearly not any better than before. You didn't tell me-"

"I told you that he was a drunk. I've always told you that. Then Ryan left me and you pushed and pushed for me and Fang to get together."

"Yeah, because I thought that you just meant he liked to drink. I didn't know that you meant he was like he was when you guys were younger. He's worse!"

"No," Max said, shaking her head. "He's not. He's way better now."

"Still. Someone doesn't get that upset because they can't have the drink they want."

"Fang does. It wasn't about that anyways. I talked to him. Bruce embarrassed him."

"Still. He could have hurt the baby."

"No," Max said, looking down at Elizabeth, who was in her arms. "He did it because he wanted to get her away from Bruce."

"Why?"

"He thought that they were going to, what was it…ritualistically torture her."

The vet made a face. "Why would he think that?"

"I don't-"

"Max!" Fang came out of the bedroom. "I slept for, like, an hour. I wanna get up now."

"Are you sober?"

He nodded.

"Fang."

"Does it matter?"

"Go back to bed."

"I didn't do anything wrong, yet you're treating me like a child."

"You threw a fit like a child. Now go-"

"Then I'm going home."

"No. I'm not letting you drive. Go back to bed."

"I said that I'm not tired."

"Then come sit down on the couch."

He looked between her mother and her before walking away. "Ethan!"

"Fang, you leave the boys alone."

"I'm going to play with him."

"No."

"Then what do you want me to do?"

"Sleep."

"Fine, Max. Maybe I'll accidentally slit my own throat on the way."

"Maybe."

As soon as he was gone, Dr. Martinez shook her head. "Max-"

"He'll sober up soon."

"That's not the point."

Ellie leaned back, cuddling against her mother. Make random noises, she giggled when Max kissed her. The baby wanted Fang to come back. He was funny.

Dr. Martinez spoke with Max for another minute before getting up and leaving. She used to stay in the guest room, but that was Liz's room now. Instead, she was staying at a hotel this time. Not that Max was complaining.

"Hey, B-"

"Don't talk to me."

It was about twenty minutes later and the boy had come in from the front yard, where he had been waiting for his friends to all leave. Max figured they must all be gone now.

"What?"

"Your stupid boyfriend-"

"Don't even start, Bruce. I didn't want him to do that."

"And?"

"He's your father."

"I liked it a lot better when he wasn't here. This is our house. Your house. That is apartment is his. Why do you have to blur the lines, huh?"

"Stop, Bruce. Fang was trying to do something nice for you, putting together this party. And he wasn't that drunk. He just thought that the baby was being…hurt by you. That's all."

"Hurt by me?"

"You call her a spawn, Bruce. I think we all know that you don't like her."

Liz made a loud noise before closing her eyes.

"I don't hate her that much."

Max ran a hand down her daughter's face. "Isn't this what you wanted, Bruce? For me and your father to get back together?"

"No!"

"When we first broke up-"

"Yeah, then, I didn't want things to change. But now that Ryan's gone, I liked the way things were going. I mean, except for you not getting out of bed and all, I didn't mind nothing."

"Your dad and I…are together again. I would like for you to be happy too."

"I'm not going to be. It doesn't matter though, because you guys won't stay together."

She took a deep breath. "That's your opinion, Bruce."

"No. That's a fact."

"Stop arguing with me."

She felt him stare at her for awhile before walking off, leaving her and Elizabeth alone.

"They deserve to be with their father, drunk or not."

Liz made a noise.

"Well, your dad is different."

The baby cuddled against her mother.

"He just is."

"Who are you talking to?" Ethan asked as he came into the room. "Huh?"

"Ellie."

"You talk to her? Me too. I explain to her how come Buzz doesn't think he's a toy."

Max smiled as her youngest son came to sit down on the couch with her. "Do you?"

"Yes." Ethan smiled brightly. "Hey, Mom?"

"What?"

"Can Dad come out of punishment now? He's been awfully good in there all by himself."

Max held in a groan. She wanted to have sometime without thinking of Fang. "How would you know that, Ethan? You haven't been in that room, have you?"

"Well, no, of course not. Even if I was though, it wouldn't mean nothing. He's my dad. I love him."

"I know you do."

"Like, he's a superhero, Mom. Do you know that?"

"I wouldn't call him a superhero, no, but-"

"And why not? He is! He saved the world just like Superman. He can fly. Do you know anyone else that has a dad that can fly? I don't think so."

"Ethan, that has nothing to do with why he's in there."

"You shouldn't be able to put him on timeout, Mom! He's a hero. An amazing one at that. You just don't respect him for a…hold on." He jumped up and started to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to go ask Dad what else he wanted me to say."

* * *

><p>Fang was snoring when Max came into the room. It was around ten now and all the other kids were in their rooms. After changing clothes, she held her breath as she slowly laid down on the bed, praying Fang didn't wake up.<p>

She had been laying there for a minute or two when she felt something poke her.

"What, Fang?"

He kept his finger pressed against her arm. "Just wanted to touch you."

"You feeling any better?"

"Can I have my whiskey now?"

"No."

"Then no." He sighed a little. "Can we have sex then?"

"Nope."

Fang groaned. "Remind me why we're together."

"I would hope because we both want to be."

Removing his finger from her arm, the contact was only broken long enough for him to pull her body to his.

"I'm sorry if I made you upset."

She had been expecting a meltdown, just not one so soon. "It's okay. I know that you have…issues."

"I do not."

"Whatever, Fang."

"I don't!"

"See? You're getting angry again. You always get angry."

"I am not."

"It's something that you need to work on."

He opened his wings, making one fall over the edge of the bed and the other fall across Max. She rolled onto her stomach.

"Bruce doesn't want us to be together."

"Bruce just doesn't like happiness."

"He must get it from you."

"Max."

She laughed a little. "Goodnight, Fang."

"Goodnight."

* * *

><p>"Wake up, Max."<p>

She pushed Fang's head away. "What time is it?"

"One of us has to go get Ethan from school."

She sat up, hating how cold she felt. "Hand me my clothes. I have to go get Lizzy from Ryan too."

"Then I guess you're going to go," Fang said, going to get Max's bra off the floor. "Catch."

As she was dressing, she watched Fang pace his room. "Something wrong, Fang?"

"Just waiting for you to leave."

"You have sex with me and then are through with me?"

"Pretty much."

"Fang." She sighed, getting up to pull on her jeans. They were gone though. "Where are my-"

"I was doing laundry. Here, you can have a pair of mine."

"I'll need a belt."

"I got one."

After she was done dressing, Fang walked her to the door. "I'll see you later, Max."

"You just want to drink."

He didn't answer her. "I have work tomorrow so, I guess we won't see each other for a few days."

"I guess so."

Fang gave her a kiss. "See you later."

"Bye."

When she got to Ryan's mother's house, where he was staying, he didn't say a word to her. Just put the baby in her car seat and went back into the house. You'd think that she was the one who had done wrong. You'd think.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Elizabeth," Ethan greeted as he climbed into the car twenty minutes later. "I just want you all to know that I had the best day today."

"I'm sure that you did."

"Oh, and I met the love of my life, so beware. I might be moving out sooner than you think."

Max sighed. "What's her name?"

"Jessica."

"That's a nice name."

"No, no, Mom. Be jealous. It's alright."

"I'm not j-"

"I hope you know that this has nothing to do with you. I'm just in love. I'll still be your little boy. Not baby though, because I'm not a baby anymore."

"I know. Ellie is."

"Yep! Me and Jessie are great together, Mom. You don't even know."

"I'm sure," she mumbled, her attention on the road. She got a text, but her phone had fallen to the floor.

"Your phone went off."

"Thanks, Ethan," she said, rolling her eyes. At a stop light, she reached down and got it. Fang had sent her one. He wanted to come over for dinner. She texted back why he suddenly wanted to see her now after declaring a two day avoidance.

"You're not supposed to use your phone in the car."

"Shush, Ethan."

He frowned before turning to look at Elizabeth, who was in her car seat next to him.

"Hi!"

She had become used to his noises and just giggled. Ethan prided himself on his younger sister. He told everyone about her. She was special to him. Finally, he wasn't the baby anymore.

Laughing also, he patted the baby on the head. "I think that Elizabeth likes me the most."

"I think so too."

Again, he laughed. "Do you love me the most?"

"No. I love you, Bruce, and Ellie the same."

"Oh…do you love me more than Dad?"

"Way more."

* * *

><p>Max and Fang didn't see each other for the next two days, but they did have an intense text conversation going. She liked him better this way. Then she didn't have to hear how drunk he was; only guess it from the horrible spelling.<p>

"Hi, Dad!"

"Hey, Ethan." He lifted the boy up, hugging him close to his body. "I missed you."

"I know. I have something to tell you. I have a girlfriend that loves me."

"I know. You told me on the phone. Remember?"

"I know. I just figured you'd like to hear it in person. You know, make it more personal and stuff."

Max smiled from the couch. "Fang, put him back on the ground. He's a big boy."

Fang sat him back down, giving his son a pat on the head before going to go kiss Max. "I missed you too."

"I'm sure." She reached up and ran her hand up and down his neck as he leaned down in front of her. Elizabeth, who was in her lap, made a loud noise.

Fang frowned before moving. "She's trying to spit on me!"

"She's drooling. All babies do that."

Ethan ran up to Fang and hugged him again. "Can you stay in my room tonight?"

"I guess so, bud." He patted Ethan on the back before shaking him off. "Where's Bruce?"

"Out," Max said, going back to the TV. "I think that I'm going to bed early tonight."

"Why?" Fang asked, sitting down next to her on the couch. "Sleepy?"

She wrinkled her nose at his word choice. "A little."

"Well, don't forget to put the baby up before you go."

"Why? You don't want her, Fang?"

He changed the subject to Jessica, which was fine with Ethan. Max listened only slightly, taking the time to watch the television and lean against Fang's arm. Elizabeth started bouncing after a few minutes, laughing loudly.

"What's wrong with her?" Fang asked, frowning while Ethan started to laugh also.

"She's just happy, Fang." Max's eyes started to close. "She's a happy baby. Like Ethan, just to a lesser degree."

"No one's as happy as me!" Ethan yelled, laughing loudly. Fang sighed.

"Ethan? Remember when we talked about being quieter? Huh?"

"Yeah, I remember. I just don't like to."

Smiling, Fang patted his head. "You've got to be, okay?"

"Okay."

Max yawned a little. "It's only five, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm tired, but the baby's not. You watch her, Fang."

"What? M-"

"Fang, if we're going to be together, you're going to have to be helpful."

"I will be. It's just…me and Ethan were going to go practice kicking the soccer ball. I don't want him to accidentally hit her with it."

"We are? Yeah!"

"Quiet," Fang said, frowning at him. "So, can't you take her with you, Max?"

"I guess so, if that's honestly your reason."

"It is."

* * *

><p>When Max woke up again, it was late. Elizabeth was no longer in bed with her, but Fang wasn't there either. She got up and found that someone had put the baby back in her crib. She then went to Bruce's room, but found that he was up, on the phone.<p>

"Bed before midnight," she said, to which he waved his hand and she left him alone after that. When she got to Ethan's room, he and Fang were both in a fort in the middle of the room. Ethan was passed out, but Fang was still awake.

"Wanna come out?"

Fang poked his head out of the entrance. "He might be mad if he wakes up in the morning and I'm not there."

"Then I guess you'll have to be back before morning."

When they got to the kitchen, Fang got Max some of the left over pizza out of the fridge.

"Cold?"

"Yeah."

He gave her the pizza before taking a slice for himself and heating it up in the microwave.

"Drink?"

"Yeah."

He handed her a coke.

"Bruce needed help writing a paper."

"You help him?"

Fang shook his head. "Did you know that they took the little paper clip off Microsoft word?"

"Those heartless bitches."

"Max."

"They did that a long time ago, Fang."

"Still. It was so helpful."

"Hmmm."

Fang opened the fridge again and took out a beer. "I want to bring my Jack over here."

"If you want."

"Jameson?"

"If you have to."

Fang took his pizza out of the microwave. "Haven't seen your mom over here today."

"She hadn't been."

Nodding a little, he sat down at the table with her. "Put the baby up for you."

"That's nice."

He popped the tab on his beer. "Want one?"

"I don't drink. You know that."

"Things change."

"Not that much."

"Lease is coming up."

"Hmmm."

"What do you want to do?"

"Whatever you want to do."

"Max, I'm not in the mood."

"If you think that you can handle living here, then live here."

"I-"

"But if you dare get drunk like you used to, go ahead and forget it."

Fang kept looking at his pizza. "I can't just drink beer."

"I know."

"It don't taste right."

"I know."

It was dark. Neither had thought to turn on a light and that slightly bugged Max. They could both see in the dark. Ryan always needed a light on.

"You buy the boys pizza a lot."

"You make them fish sticks a lot."

Max nodded. "And chicken nuggets."

Fang stood up and turned on the radio. It was set to a rap station, making Fang smile at Max, though she didn't notice. He changed the setting to CD and it was something soft, something that he didn't know. He left it.

"I liked it better on the radio," Max told him as he sat back down.

"I know."

"Christmas is coming up."

"It is."

"Ella's coming to visit me. Nudge and Rodney are coming too."

"Ig's not. He's into his new business."

"That one that he-"

"A different one. That one failed."

"This one still a pyramid scheme?"

"Yeah," Fang said, ripping off his crust.

"Yeah," Max repeated softly. "Gasman's not coming."

"He's still angry."

It wasn't a question.

"Yeah."

"He'll grow up one day."

"Yeah. We all will."

Fang took another sip of his beer. "So you tell Ethan stories about us?"

"What?"

Shaking his head slightly, Fang said, "Stories. About those days."

"Do I?" Max wasn't really hungry and gave Fang the rest of her pizza.

"Yeah."

"Hmmm."

"I'm a raven."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

The neon numbers from the clock told Max it was midnight now. She saw the last light in the house that shone in the hallway from Bruce's room go off. The house was dead.

"I work tomorrow."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

They were both now done with their food and drinks. Fang got up and got another beer and another coke. Max opened hers without thinking, even though she wasn't thirsty at all.

"Ethan thinks the house is haunted."

Fang nodded. "It is. What does he thinks here?"

"A ghost."

"Just a demon."

Max took another slip of her coke. "He says that he hears voices at night."

"The ghosts?"

"He thinks so."

"What do you think?"

"They only come when you're here."

"They must want to challenge me."

"They must."

One. It was one a.m. just like that. How many cokes had she drank now? How many beers for Fang?

"Max?"

"What?"

"Come on."

He stood, shakily at first, but finding his balance quickly. He led her to the bedroom.

Two. Fang stayed with her for while after they finished having sex. He wasn't talking and his breath didn't smell good. It smelt of beer.

"It's late."

It had been late when she woke up.

"Yeah."

Fang gave her a kiss on the head. "G'night."

"Night."

Three. Fang was back in the fort with Ethan. She was alone.

* * *

><p>When Max got home from work, her mother's car was there. So was Fang's. She had to park in the street.<p>

"What are you doing?"

"TV." Fang didn't look away from it.

"Why's my mother's car here?"

"She's here too. With Ethan, in the backyard."

Elizabeth, who was on the floor in front of Fang, greeted her mother with a loud noise. Fang grimaced, but made no verbal comment.

Max picked up her only daughter, making the baby smile. "What are you doing here?"

"TV."

"Fang."

"Ethan wanted me to stay today too." He patted the couch. "Sit."

Max did so without thinking. Elizabeth started drooling.

"Max, she's doing it again."

"Fang."

"She does it on purpose."

"Probably. If you didn't act like such a baby-"

"Oh, I'm the baby?"

"Yes!"

"But, I'm loud too."

Max blushed. "I can be, when the time calls for it."

"Time called for it just now?"

"Yeah. It did."

"Hit redial and tell it to stop calling Ethan."

"It doesn't. Just sporadic text messages."

* * *

><p>"<em>I've set my laser from stun to kill."<em>

"_Oh great. If anyone attacks us we can blink 'em to death."_

Max smiled at Ethan as she came in from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready."

"Hold on," he said, not moving from his spot on the couch. He was hanging upside down, watching Toy Story.

"Now, Ethan."

"Can't you just bring it to me, Mom?"

Fang reached over and pushed Ethan off the couch. "Get up and get your food, Ethan. She's your mother, not your servant."

Max smiled at Fang before walking away.

"Hey, Max? Bring me a drink."

"F-"

"I'm kidding," he said, coming up behind her and kissing her neck. She pushed him away.

"Mom and I are going shopping tomorrow. Can you watch the kids?"

"Why can't you bring them?" Fang asked.

"We're going p-r-e-s-e-n-t shopping," Max whispered.

"What?"

"Present," Bruce said, also coming into the kitchen.

"Bruce!" Max made a face.

Ethan frowned. "Wha'ch gonna buy them for?"

"…Bruce."

"Why?" Ethan went and got a plate. "Won't Santa bring him some?"

"He would, but…Bruce has been bad."

"Ha! Santa don't like you, Bruce."

"Doesn't, brat. And Santa isn't real."

"What?" Ethan looked up at Fang. "He's real, huh?"

"Yep."

"Like Spiderman?"

"Yeah."

Ethan hit his father's leg. "You said that Spiderman wasn't real!"

Max sighed. "Ethan, you're yelling again."

He sniffled. "I can't help it! Is he real or not?"

"Yes. I forgot that Superman wasn't real, okay?"

"He's not real either? My whole life is a lie!" He turned to Max. "Is Cyclops real?"

"The thing with one eye? I didn't know you knew mythology."

"What?"

"X-Men, Max," Fang mumbled. "Ethan-"

"You're all big liars! Next thing you know, you'll be trying to tell me that Toy Story isn't based off real life."

Max and Fang exchanged looks while Bruce snorted.

"…I hate you!"

* * *

><p>"Tonight's kind of boring."<p>

Fang nodded slightly, changing the channel. "Ain't nothing on except Christmas shit."

"Don't call Christmas shit, Fang."

He finally just turned it off, leaving them alone in the dark. "You want to?"

"We did last night."

He took another sip of his Jameson. "Yeah, we did."

"You know how much money you would save, not drinking a bottle a day?"

"I stopped for a little while."

"When?"

"Beginning of this year. January."

"How much did you drink?"

"Shot a night. Didn't last."

"I can tell."

"You should think about it."

"About what?"

"Drinking. Helps."

"Helps what?"

He tapped his head. "Your mind. Relieves it."

"I don't have anything to forget."

When he made a funny noise in the back of his throat, she called him out on it.

"It's just…our life, Max. Don't tell me you don't still have nightmares."

"I can reason."

"Reason?"

"If what happened to us didn't, I would have never met you."

"You don't know that." Fang took another drink. "I think…that we were meant to be together. God wanted us together."

It was her turn to make a noise and be called out on it.

"You don't believe in God."

"Don't tell me what I believe in, Max."

"What? Something's changed since we were together?"

He shrugged. "Don't see how it's any of your business, but yeah, it has. So what?"

"You're the whole reason I stopped going to church! You banned me from going."

"I ain't saying that I'm a regular hypocrite, but I like to think…I don't know, Max. I don't know, okay? Does it matter what I think and what you think?"

"It used to, back when you wanted to control my every thought."

"That was then and this is now. If you can't separate the two, I don't see how we're going to survive together."

"I don't either," she whispered.

It was a long silent thirty minutes. Long and dark. Cold too, if she was going to be descriptive. Fang broke it.

"Getting late."

"Real late."

Again, silent fell on them. Not for nearly as long this time, though.

"You know, Max, I get it. I was an ass. You have to get though, that I was a kid back then."

"Three years ago? Four?"

"Maybe not then, but back when things were real bad, I was."

"I was a kid too, Fang!"

"I'm not saying you weren't."

"Am I just supposed to forget everything?"

"You stayed, Max. Why didn't you just leave me if you hated it that much?"

"I did!"

"And yet, here you are, back with me." He took a deep breath, now speaking in a softer tone. "I must not be all bad."

"You must not be."

"And you must be pretty strong, dealing with me."

"Must be."

He nodded a little. "Sex is good, though."

"Always has been."

"Not always."

"Can't be perfect every time."

"Thinking of taking up smoking."

"Not in the house."

After another ten minutes, she tried to leave, but he caught her hand when she walked by and forced her into his lap.

"I don't want this to end, Max."

"I don't either."

He finished the whole bottle and sat it on the side table. Max leaned against him.

"I'm going to bed."

"Me too."

Neither ever left the couch, until Ethan woke them up the next morning.


	9. Chapter 9

Frayed

Chapter 9

Fang was eating dinner alone at his apartment when Max showed up.

"Where are the boys?" He asked, letting her in.

"With Mom," she said, bouncing Elizabeth in her arms. "Fang, I need you to watch Elizabeth."

"What? Why? Where's your mother?"

"She took the boys to the zoo. I kept Ellie, not knowing that I would be called in to work. Please, Fang?"

"Ryan can-"

"Fang, I have to go now. Please."

He took the baby. "Fine."

As soon as Max was gone, the baby looked up at Fang and began to laugh.

"Why can't you ever just be quiet? Huh?" He went and sat her down on the ground in front of the couch. "At least you're not crying, I guess."

Fang went over to her diaper bag that Max gave him and found a stuffed animal in it. Laying it down next to her, he sat back down on the couch to begin eating again. Elizabeth watched him, whining.

"What now?" He frowned at her. "Can you eat this? It's a burger. I don't think so and don't want Max to yell at me. That's all I need, you stupid baby. You always just want me to get in trouble. It's not my fault your parents broke up."

Elizabeth laid down on her stomach and tried to crawl closer to him. Fang was funny to her. He made her laugh. She laughed so much she peed.

"Great," he grumbled, taking her into his bathroom. "Now I have to change you. I didn't even like changing my own kids! This is sick. I hate this. I don't like you."

After that was done, Elizabeth got sleepy. Fang felt kind of bad about making her sleep on the floor, so he took her to his bedroom.

"Let's see…you can't just lay on the bed. You might fall!. Hmmm…" Fang laid her down in the middle of the bed before setting the pillows on each side of the baby.

"There. Wait…What if you suffocate? You could lean against them and not be smart enough to move. Honestly, I don't think you're that smart at all."

Elizabeth yawned, making Fang frown.

"I guess, if I have too…I'll stay in here with you."

Fang sat down on one side of the bed, far away from the baby. "You go to sleep now. I'm busy. I'm going to text on my phone, ignore you, and be happy. You should do the same. Only sleep instead of text. Obviously. You're so dumb."

The baby closed her eyes and went to sleep. Fang sat there for awhile, waiting for Max to come get the baby. And yes, maybe he did eventually get tired and fall asleep. So what?

* * *

><p>"Thanks, Fang."<p>

He shrugged, handing over the baby and her diaper bag. "She was annoying for awhile and then fell asleep. No biggie."

Max gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You wanna come over for dinner? Mom made something, seeing as Ella'll be here in an hour or two."

Fang sighed. "Given such short notice, I think that you should allow me time to think."

"I'll give you a ride if you come now. Plus, I'm stopping for slurpees."

"Sold," Fang said, grabbing his jacket before following her out the door. When they got to the gas station, Max went in to get their icies and Fang stayed out in the car with the baby.

"Yet again, I'm stuck with you."

Elizabeth made another noise. She liked Fang's voice.

"See? You can never just shut up."

She could say the same for him.

When they finally got home, Ethan wanted some of Fang's drink.

"You should have bought me one if you didn't want to share, Dad."

"No. You don't get everything I have, Ethan."

"Please? Please? Mom?"

"Here, take mine," she said, handing hers over. A minute later, she was taking sips out of Fang's.

"Hey," he said, jerking it away from her.

"Fang, stop."

"Why do I have to share? Ain't my fault you gave yours away," he said as he finally just handed her the cup.

"Ella will be here soon," Max's mother said as the two of them went into the kitchen. "Then, it will be time to eat."

"Where's Bruce, Mom?" Max asked as Ellie started to whine. She handed her off to Fang, much to his dismay.

"Can't she got in her crib?" Fang asked, but got no answer.

"He's in his room," Dr. Martinez said, smiling at Fang. "You came for dinner?"

"How could I not?" He went over to her and gave her a halfway hug, as Elizabeth was in his arms. "I haven't seen you in a few days. Had to spend some more time with you before you go back."

"Plus, Max wasn't cooking."

He laughed a little. "There's that."

Elizabeth leaned against Fang, now fine for some reason. Fang didn't like it.

"Max, I think the baby wants you."

"I don't," she said, going to sit down at the table with Ethan. After making a face at her, Fang took the baby into the living room. He tried to set her down on the ground, but she started to whine. Frowning, he sat down and had to keep her in his lap. The horror.

"What are you doing with the spawn?"

He frowned at Bruce as he came into the room. "She won't let me put her down."

"Sure."

"She won't!"

As he walked towards the kitchen, Fang once again tried to put her down, but was met with the same resistance. Sighing, he realized that he would just have to leave the baby in his lap.

"I really don't like you," he told the baby, staring hard into her eyes. "You do realize that, right?"

Patting his face, she smiled at him. Fang was so funny. She liked him so much. Making a loud noise, she started bouncing in his lap. Fang didn't want to be with her. He wanted her to just go away and not come back.

"You stop, now. I don't understand why you want to be held. I don't like you. I hate you. You do get what that means, right? Probably not, seeing as you're so stupid."

Sighing a little, the baby finally gave out and cuddled against him. Fang kept making faces, but she didn't seem to care.

When there was a knock at the door, Fang started to get up and get it, but Max and her mother beat him, as they were apparently in a race.

"Ella!"

Gag. Fang moved away slightly, having just wanted an excuse to hand the baby off to someone else. As the three woman talked about Ella and her pregnancy, Fang stole off into the kitchen, Elizabeth with him.

"What are you boys doing?" Fang asked, going to sit down with his sons at the table. Elizabeth started giggling for no apparent reason, making Ethan laugh loudly.

"I love my sister," he said, not answering his father's question. "I love her so much. Like, if she died, I would never smile again."

Fang made a face. That was morbid… "Okay."

"She's not your sister, loser, she's your half-sister," Bruce said, his ever present frown annoying his father slightly.

Ethan, being a little boy, did not understand what that meant. "She's my sister, no matter what you say. Mom, Ryan, and Dad told me so. So there."

"Are you allowed to hold her?" Fang asked, giving Ethan the baby without listening for an answer. "I'm going to go…out back. You boys be good, okay?"

"Are you leaving?" Ethan asked, but Fang didn't answer. He wasn't, he just needed to get away from that girl. Stupid baby. Why couldn't she just leave him alone?

* * *

><p>"Fang?" Max stepped out into the cold, looking around. "Fang, it's snowing, I'm cold, and don't really want- There you are. Come down here."<p>

Fang shook his head from where he sat, perched atop the roof. Max frowned, staring hard up there. It was snowing.

"Fang, you missed dinner. Are you drinking up there? Come down."

Again, he shook his head. "No."

"Fang-"

"You come up here."

"No."

So they stayed put, once again at odds, settled on different levels. As he stared down at Max, Fang let his wings open, if only to stretch them out a little. He was taunting her.

It seemed like a long time before either spoke. Fang couldn't remember what broke it, but next thing he knew, they were both speaking.

"Gonna be hard to get out of the house in the morning. News says it'll snow hard tonight."

Fang sighed a little, watching her rub her arms. "If you're cold, go in."

"Not until I know what you're doing."

"Nothing, Max. Just sitting. Thinking."

"Come inside and think. Come eat. Come see my sister before she leaves for her motel."

He heard Bruce's voice in his head. Half-sister. Ha.

"Ella don't care about me none."

"My mother does. She thinks that you're-"

"A drunk. I'm not stupid. She likes me to a point."

"Fang."

"Max."

She sighed. "Your wings are going to freeze and fall off your body."

"Now we know who helps Ethan with his science homework."

Rubbing her hands together, Max seemed to think for a moment before giving up and leaving him up there. Getting up after a good twenty minutes, he jumped down, not even using his wings. The snow felt funny under his feet.

"You're gonna get water everywhere," Max complained as he came into the living room, snow dripping from him. Ethan looked up from the TV.

"It's Toy Story 2. Sit down. It's the part where they meet Barbie!"

Making a face, Fang turned and walked back into the kitchen. Dr. Martinez followed him in there.

"I'll heat you up a plate."

"That's okay," he said, shaking his head a little. "I've got it."

"Oh? You're suddenly above me helping you?" She smiled at him to let him know that there was no malice intent in her statement. "Here, Fang."

He sat down at the table and let her make his dinner, feeling slightly bad all the while for not being there to eat it with everyone else. After his plate was done, the vet went back to the living room when Ethan called for her, the Woody's Round Up theme playing in the background. It's getting good, Ethan said. Wasn't it always?

He stayed. He barely had time to crack open a bottle of Jack before Ella walked in. Fang could only watch as she sat down across from him. She was pregnant, clearly. Would pop soon. The thought made him sick.

"It's a girl, incase you're wondering."

"What?"

"The baby."

"Elizabeth?"

She rolled her eyes. "My baby, Fang."

He shrugged, shifting his food around with his fork. One of the most awkward things in life is eating when someone else wasn't. Were you chewing too loudly? Was your mouth open any? Something in your teeth? Sighing, he took another sip of Jack. He clearly needed it.

"I probably shouldn't have come down here, you know. I came to see Max. You're putting her through a lot."

Forcing himself not to say anything, Fang tilted his head back, taking a huge drink.

"I liked, Ryan. A lot."

This time, he couldn't help himself.

"Clearly you like a lot of guys a lot."

If this was one of those comedies that Ethan watched on Disney Channel, someone would have said burn and done a weird hand thing. Fang hated that channel. He always thought about blocking it.

Ella sat up straighter, which was hard. She had gained a lot of weight. He took another sip of his drink just to keep down the nasty comments.

"I really don't see how that's any of your business."

"And I don't see how my life with Max is yours."

"She's my sister."

"She's my girlfriend."

They had a stare off, but it wasn't the kind Fang had with Ethan when there was nothing to do and Toy Story was 'lost'.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Max came into the room with Ellie. "Everything okay?"

"Shouldn't she be in bed?" Fang asked, whining slightly as his attention turned back to the baby instead of Ella. "It's late."

"She was crying," Max defended, frowning at him. "Here, t-"

"Ella wants to," Fang said.

"No," Ella said with a shake of her head. "I'm actually leaving, Max."

"I'll walk you to the door," she said, handing her youngest off to her boyfriend. Fang wanted to break something, but he had the child in his hands.

"I hate you so much," he told the baby after Max left. "Did you know that? Stupid baby."

She whined for a little bit before settling out and leaning against Fang to sleep. He sat there for awhile, finishing his food now that Ella was gone.

"Come on then," he told the baby, standing. He wobbled a little, but his body had build up a tolerance to drinks. Took a lot to take him down. "Time to go back to bed, you dumb baby."

Dr. Martinez was getting ready to leave also, so Fang told her goodbye. She was a nice woman. He liked her. He just hated her daughter. One of them.

After that, Fang went to go put the baby in her crib. He also had to do a diaper change, which sucked, before he could leave the bedroom.

"You've been drinking, so you're staying the night."

"I planned on it," he said, sitting down next to Max. Ethan was gone now, the movie apparently over. Things seemed to be on fast forward that night and Fang couldn't figure out why. Time flies when you're having fun and he's been having a horrible time. No wonder sex ends so quickly…

"The boys went to their rooms."

Fang grunted, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Cold?"

Smiling, Max cuddled into him. "No. You?"

"Invincible."

"Sure." She smiled up at him, but Fang chose to ignore it. "Where's the baby."

"Crib."

"Thank you."

They sat there for a few minutes before Fang got up to go get his drink from the kitchen. He brought Max back a coke. This time, when he sat down, Max laid down on the couch, laying her head in his lap.

"Fang?"

He laid a hand on her body, drinking from the bottle with the other. "Yeah?"

"I lied."

He got up and got her a blanket. Max smiled, once again putting her head in his lap when he sat back down.

"Thanks."

He ran his hand up and down her side. "Food was good."

"My mom's the best."

"Ella's a bitch."

"Fang."

"She came into the room and talked to me. I was going to leave her alone."

"Still."

He closed his eyes. "Nudge is here tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah."

"Can't wait."

"You miss her."

"I miss them all."

"Me too."

Max fell asleep for awhile, but Fang didn't. He sat there, waiting for her to wake up again so they could talk. Setting his drink down, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his picture.

"You're such a creep."

"You were asleep."

Max shifted a little. "I really wish you would get rid of that or at least stop carrying it around."

"I need it."

She reached up and touched his face. "Let's go to bed."

As soon as they got there, Max went into the restroom, but Fang just laid down on the bed. He was tired, but not ready to sleep.

"Sleeping in your jeans?"

Fang sighed before pulling them off. Max got his shirt for him. Then his boxers. Then the rest of him.

When they were done having sex, she dressed, claiming that sometimes Ethan came to wake her up and the door wasn't locked. He believed her, but part of him wondered if she was still embarrassed about her body. She had gained weight with Elizabeth and still hadn't put it off.

It was really quiet in the room. Cold too. He scratched himself.

"Fang?"

"What?"

Max shifted on the bed to look at him. "What was the best moment of your life? With me, I mean?"

This was a trick. "When the boys were born."

"What? No. I meant like...just us. Like…never mind."

"No, no. I don't just know off the top of my head." He stared up at the ceiling, as if it could give him the answer. "Remember that time that we were in France? The last time? A few months before you found out that you were pregnant with Bruce?"

"Yeah."

"I liked that. It was one of our last trips alone."

"You remember it? You were so wasted back then that I figured it'd be a blur."

"I remember plenty, thank you." He looked at her. "I remember pissing off that reporter that time."

"Which?"

"When he kept asking for a look at our wings and I snapped them open real fast, knocking him in the head."

"I remember. You know, you made us look bad."

"I know."

It was quiet again, for a little while. Then Max spoke again.

"I liked when we were just at home, at our apartment. Remember our first apartment?"

Fang snorted. "That thing sucked. I hated it."

"It was ours though. The first thing that we had all to ourselves. I loved being at home with you."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes."

"No."

"Don't tell me what I feel, Fang."

"You're looking back with no…no…stal…That word."

"Nostalgia?"

He nodded a little, his eyes slipping closed. "You hated me. I was a drunk."

"You have been forever. Well, since that save the world stuff was done."

"I didn't mean to be," he mumbled. "It just helped."

Max reached out and ran a hand down his arm. "I also liked our first car."

Fang snorted. "Now I know you're crazy."

"What?"

"You hated that thing. It broke down all the time."

"And? I miss it."

Shaking his head, Fang smiled a little in the dark, even though Max wasn't watching. "G'night, Max."

She rolled over again, putting her back to him. "Goodnight, Fang."

* * *

><p>Fang was rare to hug anyone other than his sons, but he felt good as he embraced Nudge. It had been too long. It always was, though.<p>

"How are you?"

"I've been better. Rodney refused to let me ask for directions-"

"I got us here, didn't I?"

Nudge rolled her eyes before moving on from Fang, which was fine with him. He nodded at her husband before walking back into the kitchen, leaving the others to deal with the happy reunion. He wanted none of it.

"Here, Fang."

He frowned as Max came in there and sat Elizabeth in his lap before walking away. What was wrong with her?

"I hate you," he reminded the child. "You hear me?"

Elizabeth giggled. Her mom had put her in there because all the people scared her. Fang didn't.

"You're nothing, but a dumb baby."

"Who you talkin' to?" Ethan came up behind Fang, apparently having been hiding somewhere in the kitchen. Fang wasn't sure where and that annoyed him.

"What?" Fang turned his unhappiness on his son. "Huh?"

"Dumb baby. You sound like Angelica."

"I don't know who that is."

"Maybe you're the dumb one."

He ran off after that, not wanting Fang to yell at him. Sighing, he looked back down at Elizabeth, who was happily blowing spit bubbles. The horror.

"See? You're nasty too. That's why I hate you."

She made a noise, but didn't pay him any mind. Fang was always making noises. It made her feel safe, knowing that he was always right there.

"How long have you been in here?" Max came back then, frowning. "The whole time?"

Fang nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Well, I need Ellie."

He was suspicious. "For what?"

"She's going over to Ryan's tonight for Christmas Eve. She'll be back tomorrow though."

"Why? She's a baby? What's he going to do with her?"

"Fang, just give her to me."

He tried to seem eager, but his reluctance showed. "Is she staying the whole night? Does she have somewhere to sleep? Is he even qualified to watch children?"

"Fang," Max sighed before just taking the baby. "He's her father."

"I know that."

Elizabeth whined a little. She had seemed to form a dislike of her mother recently.

After they were gone, Fang got a bottle of alcohol out and started drinking. Nudge came in after a half hour or so.

"What are you doing?"

"Drinking. You?"

"I came to see why you stay holed up in the kitchen all day."

"Not much else to do."

"You could come out there with us."

"I could."

She sat down across from him. "Ella won't shut up about her stupid baby. Who cares? I don't. She got knocked up, doesn't know by who, and thinks that it's the story of the year. Newsflash, it ain't. Happens on Maury everyday."

"Don't forget Jerry."

"Wouldn't think of it."

Fang took another drink. "I've never liked Ella anyways."

"You did, before all the shit went down."

"Tends to be the way things work."

She sighed. "Where's Angel?"

"Not coming, I don't guess. I would figure that you would talk to her more than me or Max."

"I don't."

"Well then, I guess she's with her brother." Fang stifled a yawn. "You still talk to him?"

"Kind of. Nothing too deep. He's still mad at you two and always wants to complain."

"We didn't do shit to him. Sorry excuse for a man. The punk."

Nudge shrugged. "Things have to blow over eventually. Family rule."

That was the thing though. They weren't family. Not anymore. Were they ever, really?

Fang shook his head. "Anyways, I'm going to head back to my place."

"You're drinking."

"Not too much. Besides, Max ain't around. Plus, I helped save this sorry ass country. I'll fucking drive drunk if I want. No matter to me."

Nudge just got up and left the room. Which was fine. He was leaving anyways.


	10. Chapter 10

Frayed

Chapter 10

"Mom?"

She groaned.

"Dad's here. Can we open our presents?"

"No. Wait for Mom."

"Mom-"

"Go away, Ethan. I'll be up soon."

Max laid there for awhile before getting up and dressing. When she got to the living room, Fang was there.

"Hey."

"Hey." He was on the couch, Elizabeth in his lap.

"When did she get here?"

"Right after I did. Ryan brought her home."

Elizabeth looked up as her mother walked over, but was too busy playing with Fang's finger's to acknowledge her.

"When's your mom coming?"

"Should be here in a few minutes," Max told him as she sat down on the couch next to him. "She'll bring her camera."

"I know."

"You're going to be nice."

"I know."

"You too, Bruce. She can take photos if she wants."

"What about you, huh? You're not taking any today?" Fang looked at his girlfriend. "I know you to be very into taking pictures of the kids opening presents."

"Well-"

"No excuses."

She laid against his arm. "You and Elizabeth seem to be getting along."

Fang immediately snatched his fingers away from the baby and sat her in her mother's lap. "No. I was just waiting for you to-"

Elizabeth started to cry, making Ethan upset.

"See? You make her sad." Ethan ran over there. "It's okay, Elizabeth. Look! I'm happy."

Groaning, Fang gave his fingers back to the baby. She giggled, taking them happily. Max smiled a little, but Fang kept his grim look as he turned his face back to the television.

"I love you," Ethan told his sister to which Bruce rolled his eyes. After patting her head, Ethan went to go sit back next to the pile of presents under the tree and wait for permission to open them.

By the time her mother got there, Max could tell that Fang was pretty much done with the day. He was putting on for Ethan though, so that was good.

The day went fast into the night and Nudge came with her husband, Ella coming with only her pregnant self. Max was so busy that she didn't have time to supervise Fang and make sure that he didn't do something stupid, which she was sure that he was glad about. He and her sister avoided each other too, so that was good.

"Have I showed you my new Buzz Lightyear, Rodney?"

Nudge's husband nodded. "Yes. Multiple times."

"He's the best thing ever. Well, Toy Story is. I know everything about it. Have you ever seen it?"

"Ethan…I actually saw the movie in theaters, so I think I know a little bit more about it than you."

Why did he have to say that? Max groaned.

"No! I can quote it word for word!"

Max could tell that Rodney didn't want to test the boy.

"Alright, I believe you."

Ethan calmed down. "Mom? Where's Ellie? I think that she wants to play with me."

"What makes you think that?"

"Mom, I'm me. Who wouldn't want to play with me?"

Bruce, who was texting on his phone, raised his hand. Max gave him a look.

"I don't know, Ethan. I haven't seen her."

"She's with Fang," Dr. Martinez said. "In her room, I think."

"Go get her for me, please," Ethan said. Max didn't have time to refuse because Ethan launched into another pointless story about Jessica. Rodney whispered something to Nudge and Max was pretty sure it had to do with her son. She wouldn't hold it again him. How could she?

When Max got to her daughter's room, Fang was on the floor, staring at her daughter, who was banging blocks together.

"What are you doing?"

Fang didn't look up. "Nothing."

"Are you drinking?"

"I'm out of liquor."

"You haven't gone out to get more?"

"No. Not yet."

Max went to go sit down next to him, watching her daughter also. "The others are still here, Fang. You've barely seen anyone."

"I don't want to."

"How can someone that likes going to the club be so antisocial?"

"You tell me."

She leaned against his arm. "I need to go on a diet."

"Yeah."

She hit him. "Fang."

"You shouldn't have said if you didn't want me to agree." He frowned at the baby when she looked at him, but it just made her laugh. "Ethan liked his toys."

"Ethan likes anything."

"This is true."

It was quiet for a little bit. That seemed to always be the case to Max and it worried her.

"Fang?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think that we're boring?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"It's not a bad thing, Max. All relationships are when the people have known each other as long as we have. There's no story you can tell that I haven't heard and there's no lie I could tell that you wouldn't call me out on. I've known you since forever. It's going to be like that for the rest of our lives."

"Do you want that?"

"I wouldn't be with you if I didn't."

"Hn."

He patted her shoulder. "Your baby bores me to death though."

"No one made you watch her today. I thought that Mom had her?"

"I remember her being forced upon me."

"You have a weird memory."

Elizabeth tired of her toys and crawled over to Fang.

"What?"

She just giggled. Max sighed a little, reaching out to run a hand down her baby's face.

"I didn't feel excitement about today. I thought I would, seeing as it's Liz's first Christmas."

"Yeah, but this ain't the Christmas that counts. When she's able to get excited is when you should."

"Is that when?"

"Yeah."

"Remind me."

"I will."

Fang gave Elizabeth his fingers when she wanted them, yawning slightly at the same time.

"You didn't come back last night."

"I was too drunk to find my keys."

"It's for the better then."

Closing his eyes, Fang added, "Plus, I didn't really feel like it. I am paying for that place. Might as well get good use out of it."

"Might as well."

Fang was gentle as he pulled his fingers away from the baby, something Max had yet to see until that point.

"I'm going out."

"Will you be back?"

"I plan to be."

"Not many places will be open, Fang."

"I'm going back to my place. I'll bring a few bottles over."

"If you have to go."

"I do."

She wanted to stay there after he left, just sitting on the floor, ignoring the others like she was a kid that could still do just that, but she wasn't a kid. These were her guests and she had to go be with them.

Elizabeth hid her head in her mother's shoulder as they came back into the room. Max was pretty sure it was to hide from Ethan, but she couldn't conform this.

"Elizabeth! Toy Story's on!"

When wasn't it? Max sat back down on the couch in between Bruce and her mother.

"Bruce, would you go get me a drink, please?"

"Why couldn't you do it when you were up?"

"Now, Bruce."

Grumbling, he got up, Ethan quickly refilling his place.

"See that? It's a movie," he explained to the baby, who was busy being talked to by her grandmother. Ethan frowned.

"She don't listen well," he complained to which Rodney laughed.

"Maybe it's because you talk too much, Ethan," Nudge said, which was almost ironic in a way. Ella shook her head.

"Don't listen to them, Ethan. You don't talk too much."

"Have you lost hearing?" Max asked her sister as Bruce brought her a coke. She'd start her diet tomorrow…or maybe next week…January's always a good time for diets…

* * *

><p>Max was washing dishes while listening to the radio. She was home alone at the moment and was enjoying it to the fullest. Then Fang had to come and ruin it.<p>

"Ew," he said, changing the station from rap to some stupid rock station, which angered Max.

"You can't just-"

"More important things to talk about, Max," he said, cutting her off. That just infuriated her more.

"Please enlighten me," she said, turning to face him. Elizabeth, who was in his arms, clapped her hands when Fang prompted her.

"I got a promotion."

Max stared at him. "Change my station back."

Frowning, Fang ignored this request, instead looking at Elizabeth. "At least someone cares about me."

"Thought you didn't like her?"

"We're having a good day."

"What else did you do today?"

"Obviously pick up the baby from Ryan."

"Obviously."

"And get promoted."

"Yes."

"…That's about it."

Max sighed as she went back to washing dishes. "You need to pick up Ethan pretty soon."

"Can't you?"

"Work. And change my station back."

"But-"

"I'm serious."

Sighing, he did as he was told before saying, "Fine. Me and Elizabeth will be taking our nap."

"Elizabeth and I," Max corrected. He ignored her and just left. When she was done with the dishes, Max went to the bedroom to change clothes. Fang was texting while Elizabeth slept next to him.

"Hey," she said. Fang ignored her. Sighing, she said, "I'm actually happy about your promotion, Fang. I'm sorry if I made you mad."

"Mad? Me mad? Never."

She was about done with his moodiness for the day. "Whatever. I'll be home late. You're staying here tonight."

"But-"

"Either that or take the kids with you back to your place. Whatever you decide."

"I like being able to make decisions."

"So long as you don't drink before you drive."

"So long as."

"Yeah."

Shaking her head, she went to give him a kiss before leaving for the day.

* * *

><p>When Max got home, no one else was there. It was late, so she decided that they went to Fang's house. Fine by her.<p>

It was pretty cold as most nights were in February and Max wrapped up in blankets before going to bed. She was mostly asleep when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Max? You home yet?"

She closed her eyes again. "Yeah, Fang. I was sleeping."

"Oh. I'm not."

"I can tell."

"You eat?"

"No."

"Max-"

"I'm not hungry. My stomach's upset." She yawned a little. "I wish you were here to rub it for me."

"I can't drive. You said that I can't if I drink. Plus, the kids are all in bed."

Max sighed. "Why did you leave?"

"Bruce and Ethan both said that they wanted to and I didn't really care one way or another."

"I'm cold though."

"You can come over."

They argued over it for a little bit before Max got up, got a change of clothes, and headed over to his place.

"Where's the baby?"

"Asleep in her playpen in Ethan's room."

Max got into bed slowly, sighing a little as she did. "My day was Hell."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"Thank God."

"It's just-"

"I thought that you didn't want to talk?"

Max sent him a look. "You must be drunk if you're going to act like that."

Smiling a little, Fang reached out and wrapped an arm around her. "Talk, Max."

"No. Now I don't want to."

"That's fine with me, I won't force you." He kissed the side of her head. "I've been thinking."

"That's great."

"I want to move out."

"Of what?" Max asked, stifling a yawn.

"This place. You know, move back in with you. You said to wait until I can handle, it right? I haven't done anything bad since we got together."

She stared into his eyes.

"I haven't done anything bad since January."

"It's whatever you like, Fang. If you can handle yourself, fine. I'll believe you."

He nuzzled her neck, which was odd for them. Max wasn't sure if she liked all this touching. It gave her a funny feeling in her stomach.

"I'm still cold."

After pulling the blankets up around them more, he opened his wings and laid one across her. Max smiled sleepily.

"G'ngiht, Max."

"Goodnight."

Neither fell asleep after that though, but they did rest. Fang just laid there, letting her cuddle against him, as he stared drunkenly at the wall. When her eyes weren't closed, Max stared down at the pillow, wondering if this was all going to work out, him coming back home.

"It'll be morning in a few hours," he whispered. How long had they been laying there? She was too lazy to check.

"Mmm."

"I'll make waffles."

Even though it was muffled by the pillow, she still asked, "With chocolate sauce?"

"Is there any other way?"

Max smiled. She almost told him that she loved him, but stopped herself.

Fang switched his pillow to the other side, trying to get comfortable. "We're going to be tired, neither of us sleeping and all."

"We've gone a lot longer without it before."

"Still. Kids are exhausting."

Max laughed softly. "Fang?"

"What?"

"I want every night to be like this, even if it means I never sleep again."

Leaning down, he kissed her head. "Me too."

* * *

><p>"I think I'll go for a walk outside now, the summer sun is calling my n-"<p>

"Ethan, if you do not shut up, I will knock you out and stuff your body in the oven."

"Will it be turned on?"

"Yes."

"I'll take my chances." He took a deep breath. "Sunny days, sweeping the clouds away-"

"You make me want to commit suicide!"

Aw, brotherly love.

"If you both don't shut up, I kill you."

Fang made a face. "Max, leave them alone. They're just playing."

"You shut up. If it wasn't for you thinking that we all just wanted to go out to dinner, I wouldn't be stuck in the car with them."

"Me? You're the one that's such a drag."

"I'm a drag?"

"Such a drag that you could win the drag queen beauty pageant."

"You can go fu-"

"Don't you curse."

"Don't you tell me what to do."

Elizabeth whined a little, but Bruce put a toy in her carried to shut her up. Ethan took in the sullen mood and decided to fix it.

"You got a friend in me. You got a friend-"

"That's it! No more Toy Story for a week."

Ethan frowned. "Dad-"

"Max, you can't ban him from Toy Story."

"We should have done it a long time ago."

"Just because you decided to make today joyless, doesn't mean that-"

"Of course, blame it all on me."

Fang shook his head as he gripped the steering wheel. "You're the reason I drink."

"Good. I hope you die from it."

Bruce sighed. "You guys are kind of being childish."

"Shut up, Bruce."

"Don't talk to him like that, Fang."

"Me talk to him like that? You just grounded Ethan from the one thing that keeps him perky!"

"Shut up, Fang."

"How can you get on me for talking to him like that when you-"

"I said shut up!"

Needless to say, it was a quiet ride home. Max immediately went to her room to nap.

It had been a month since Fang moved back in permanently and it had been rough. Before, when one was having a bad day, they could just ignore each other. Now, that wasn't an option.

"Max, you knew that I was coming to nap."

She pulled in her wings, which had been strewn across the bed. "You have your half, I have mine."

Fang got into bed and put his back to her back. There.

For the first hour, neither spoke a word, but neither slept either. It was nice to see how sometimes, the silence isn't for the best.

"Where's the baby?"

"I'm napping."

"Fang."

"Crib."

The talking was dead after that. Two hours into it and Fang was out. He snored horribly too.

"I wish you would be quieter," she told her sleeping boyfriend. "Some of us are trying to sleep."

He chocked in his sleep and then all was silent. She reached over and poked him just to make sure.

"What?"

"Just checking."

Fang groaned. "I had just fallen asleep."

"Sorry."

Hour three and Ethan couldn't take it anymore. He came in there and bothered them both until they got up.

"I thought I grounded you from Toy Story?" Max asked as she followed him into the living room, Fang not far behind.

Ethan gapped at her. "Mom, this is clearly Toy Story 2."

"Clearly," Fang echoed, which got him an elbow in the abdomen.

"Am I really grounded?" He asked as they all sat down on the couch, Ethan in between the two adults.

"No," Max sighed, pushing his head a little. "You know that I wouldn't do that to you. I love you, Ethan."

"Does that mean that you don't love Bruce?"

"Why would you asked that?" Max looked down at her youngest son.

"Because he gets grounded a lot."

"That's because he's bad a lot," Fang said, shaking his head. "He's a big kid, Ethan. You know that they're all bad."

"Yeah, all of them," Ethan agreed, leaning against his father's side. The eight year old smiled a little. "Don't you just love this movie, Dad?"

"It's the best."

"One of the bests," his son corrected. "You can't forget the first movie."

"Yeah, sure, a tie for certain," Fang halfheartedly agreed. Max rolled her eyes.

"Ethan, can we watch something else?"

"Uh, no. Why would you ask such a dumb question? We're in the middle of a movie, Mom. You know the rules. You can't interrupt a movie unless it's an emergency."

Sighing, Max wished in her head that Fang was next to her so that she could lean up against him instead of their son. "Then you expect us to watch this movie again? I feel like I've seen it so many times that I could type up a transcript."

"I don't know what a transcript is, but you shouldn't complain, Mom. Life is short."

"That's why I don't want to spend it watching Toy Story."

"Toy Story 2!"

"Same thing. And stop yelling."

"You and Dad yelled the whole time we were coming home from dinner," he defended, crossing his arms.

"Don't talk back," Fang said which was really his extent of punishment towards Ethan for the most part.

"Bruce would have been grounded," Max mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Fang was starting to get irritated again. She could tell.

"What exactly are you trying to accuse me of, Max?"

"Nothing."

"No, clearly you are."

"I said nothing."

"Whatever."

Ethan patted Fang's leg. "It's okay. She's mean to everyone."

Max hit him in the head. "Ethan…shut up before I turn off the movie."

"See?"

"I mean it."

"You wouldn't have done that to Bruce," Fang mumbled, mimicking Max's previous actions.

"Oh, whatever."

The baby crying saved the fight. When Fang made no move to get her, Max decided that he and Elizabeth were on the outs at the moment and went to get the baby herself. She needed to be changed.

"Can I go out?"

Max turned her head and saw her oldest in the doorway. "What time is it?"

"I don't know."

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

"Bruce."

"What?"

"Tell me where you're going."

"To a friend's house."

"What friend?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. If I called their parents, would they know that you were coming over?"

"Mom, I don't know."

"You should."

"Fine! I'll just not go. Happy?"

Not really. "Leave me alone, Bruce. If you had just told me the friend-"

"It's a date, alright?"

Max paused. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"Do you need someone to drive you or-"

"No."

"Okay. Go. Be home by curfew."

Max finished with the baby and put her back in her crib before going back out to the living room. Ethan was gone, a game show now on the TV instead of Toy Story.

"Oh, now you're back to fight, huh? Guess what, Max, I don't play favorites with the b- What's wrong?"

She went and sat in Fang's lap. "Bruce left on a date."

Picking his words carefully, Fang asked, "Why does that make you sad?"

"I don't know."

Wrapping his arms tightly around her, Fang gave his girlfriend a kiss on the cheek. "He's been going on them."

"Has he?"

"Yeah."

"He never mentioned it to me."

"Maybe he's embarrassed."

Or maybe she just didn't care to listen.

"Maybe," Max muttered.

"On the bright side, we're alone."

"Where's Ethan?"

"He remembered that he had to do something. I think that it had to do with saving the world, but I didn't ask for specifics."

"He wants to be like you."

"And you."

"He doesn't seem to ever remember that I was involved in saving the world. Or anyone else for that matter. He just tells everyone that his dad saved the planet. You're his superhero."

"So I've heard." He kissed her neck this time, lingering long enough for her to notice. "What do you want to do?"

Drag Bruce's ass back home and never let him leave the house again.

"This is nice. Sitting here. With you."

"Was the baby okay?"

"Just needed to be changed."

"That's good."

"Yeah." She leaned against him. "Fang?"

"What?"

"I'm kind of still tired."

"I'm not. When you get up, I'm going to get a drink."

Max got off him and let him go into the kitchen. Sighing a little, she laid down on the couch, refusing him access to it when he returned.

"Max-"

"Sit somewhere else."

"Fine."

He went and sat in the chair. "Happy?"

Why did everyone ask that when the answer was always no?

"I would be if you changed the channel."

"Remotes next to you. Watch what you want." As soon as he finished his sentence, he was downing his drink. She watched him the whole time instead of the TV as he drowned in the endless stream of whiskey, oblivious of her eyes. For awhile, anyways.

"What?"

She was brought out of her trance and then had to fess up to it. "I was just watching you."

"Why?"

"I was thinking, Fang, that's all."

"Well cut it out."

"Make me."

He got up, stumbling over his own feet. He landed on her when he was unable to catch himself. Laughing, she tried to push him off, but Fang wouldn't have it.

"I said to cut it out," he growled playfully, putting his hands over her eyes. Max shook her head, trying to get him off, but really wanting him nowhere else except on her.

"You cut it out!"

"No." He was suddenly next to her ear. He smelt of alcohol, but there was some form of comfort in that. It was familiar to her. Fang protected her and Fang always smelled like whiskey. Whiskey protected her, just like it did him, just in a different way.

"I'm sorry," Fang whispered, still right next to her ear. He needed to shave. His face tickled. "About earlier."

His hands still covered her face, but she stopped fighting. "It's okay."

Kissing her ear for a moment, when he pulled away, he mumbled something that sounded like an I love you, but Max couldn't be certain. Reaching up blindly, she found the back of his head and stroked it.

Max heard Fang turn off the TV and then it was silent. He laid there against her, trying unsuccessfully not to squash her. It wasn't comfortable, yet she didn't want to move, she wanted to stay like that forever, if possible. She knew though that pretty soon, the baby would be crying. Or Ethan would be yelling. Or Bruce would call for a ride. At the moment though, there was nothing else to do and she was thankful.

Fang fell asleep after awhile. Max felt tired, but couldn't drift off, not with him laying on top of her. His hard on was pressing into her stomach and she was shocked that he could find slumber. The silence might not been enough for her to doze off, but it did give her time to think.

Think. That's all she wanted these days was to think. Having Fang back at first was rocky, then serendipity, and now it was just mundane. Like with Ryan and Fang before that. Even Dylan, back when he was alive. Then Fang before that too.

The common factor, whether she liked to admit it or not, was the big lug sleeping on top of her at the moment. He was always there. Even when he wasn't in the same town, state, country, or even continent as her, he was there in her mind. All day. She always thought about him. Thought about what he was doing, what he was thinking, how he would react to whatever was going on, replaying the last conversations they had in her head while she drifted off. It was weird, but she really didn't need to be with Fang at this point. She had him in her mind and sometimes, she liked that Fang better than the one he had become.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be with him. Because she did. Didn't she? She wanted him, but not all of him. You can't just pick apart the worse parts of someone though. He wasn't pizza. She couldn't pull off the toppings she didn't want. Drinking wasn't the sauce that she could just ask not be put on. This wasn't Burger King. She couldn't have it her way. Not this time. Not any time, really.

Reaching down, Max put her hands into his pocket. His phone had gone off and she wanted to make sure it wasn't something important. Plus, yeah, she was snooping, but what woman didn't?

It was a text from one of his friends. They wanted to know if he wanted to come over and watch the game.

"Fang?"

He grunted.

"Your phone."

Another grunt.

"It's Charles. Are you going to come over to his place to watch the game?"

No response. He just kissed her head and went back to sleep.

As Max was putting his phone back, her hand brushed the edge of something. Frowning, she returned the phone and pulled it out. It was the photo. Sighing, Max looked it over.

The thing had become old, just like that. For some reason she didn't remember it being that old looking. It was ripped and torn and faded. Her face was haunting really. She had never known life outside of the School at that point and Fang posing to make her laugh was the best she thought life could get. Fang said that the photo kept him going, made him happy, but Max was just saddened by it. It reminded her of the past, something that she always tried to forget.

Staring at the photo that would forever hold a picture of her and Fang, she couldn't fight the urge to throw it away. It was nasty, dirty. It belonged in the trash. She could lie to Fang and say that she had no idea where it went. He would never know and eventually have to move on. No harm, no foul. Besides, it was old. It was trash really. Torn and broken it was…frayed. Who wanted something that was frayed…right? Years of being transferred from pocket to pocket had done that to it and Max would be doing it justice, really. The inanimate object would thank her if it could, right?

"What are you doin' with my picture?"

She looked up into Fang's clouded eyes. "Hmmm?"

"What are ya doin'?"

"Nothing. Just looking at it."

Fang took it from her hands. "I have more."

"Of it?"

"No, more of us."

She had never heard that. "What?"

Fang got off her slowly and started to walk away, faltering the whole time. She followed him to the bedroom. When he got there, Fang got on his knees in front of the dresser, where he had put his stuff when he moved back in.

"See?" He pulled open a dresser drawer that held hundreds of photos, just strewn around.

"Where did you get these? Who gave them to you?"

In his drunkenness, Fang just laid down on the ground, not even caring. Max shoved him out of the way so that she could look at them.

"Jeb. I hid 'em from ya because…I don't know. Can't 'member. Ask me later."

There weren't just ones of them. There was little Nudge, talking nearly every time her photo was snapped. Then there was Iggy. Max could tell the ones that he still had his sight in, just by looking at him. He used to seem so…alive, back then. Inquisitive. Of course, Gazzy had his share of photos too. In most of his though, he was pulling up his shirt to show his stomach. For some reason, when he was little, he liked to do that. That and fart. Yeah.

Angel was there too, but she was still so little in her photos. A baby, really. It made Max sad to look at for the same reason that it made her sad that Bruce was going on a date. It made her feel…old. So much had happened. So much that most people would never experience. She had lived a complete life, yet she still felt so…empty. Incomplete.

The flock weren't the only one in the photos that she remembered. There were Whitecoats that brought her back to years ago too. They weren't all bad. Well, they were, but they weren't. Some, typically the women, were kinder than others. They wouldn't be as…rude, really. What they were doing was bad, but they weren't horrible people. Like her mom. Or, as much as she hated to admit it, Jeb.

Ari was also there in a few of them. Those almost killed her to look at, knowing now that he was dead. They were all before he got turned into an Eraser, of course. He was still the cute, kind, little boy that annoyed the heck out of her. Now, looking back, she wished that she had treated him better. Not just because he was her half-brother, but also because...she loved him. She really did.

The ones that really got her, though, were the ones of her and Fang. It seemed that they were never apart. Iggy went with them a lot too. When she looked through them, she found that when one got hurt, the other cried just as much. In one, she had just gotten a shot and was barely crying, having been used to the pain and only a few tears welled in her eyes. Iggy and Fang though, were both throwing a fit. It was cute. As horrible as it was, it was cute.

"Why'd he give them to you and no one else?"

Fang shrugged to the best of his ability. "Told me to give 'em to you guys. Couldn't. Wanted them. Selfish."

Max kept taking out a handful and staring at them, trying to remember those days, but finding that she had shoved them so far back that they really didn't exist anymore.

"Why'd you pick that one?"

"Huh?" Fang sat up a little.

"Why'd you pick the one that you did? To carry around? Why's it your favorite?"

Again, he attempted to shrug before falling back to the ground. "It just felt…special to me. I love it."

She finally looked at him, but only for a moment. "I want this one."

Struggle to get up and move over to her, he stared over her shoulder at the photo that she held in her hands.

It was of all of them, not just her and Fang like he had. Only, it wasn't at the School. Jeb had taken it, probably, when they first got the E-Shaped house. Iggy was flaked out on the couch, a hand thrown across his face, shielding his eyes even though he could only see darkness either way. Nudge was sitting on the armrest next to his feet, rambling while posing for the photo at the same time. Fang had his arms crossed, standing behind the couch, not seeming oto impressed with the place. Max, though, was busy trying to keep Gasman, who had climbed onto the back of the couch, from falling and holding Angel, who was wiggling to be put down.

Falling back to the floor, Fang said, "If you want it, take it."

"I think you should let everyone take one. You should have a long time ago, after all."

He nodded his head. "Sure. Send 'em all a few of them. I don't care. We have so many."

Sitting back on her butt, Max looked at a few more photos, smiling and tearing up at times, but never letting the happiness or sadness overwhelm her. No matter what, the photos were the past. It was over. That's all.

Slowly, Max moved to lay next to Fang on the ground, laying her head on his chest and closing her eyes.

"I wish…I wish I had a photo of Dylan."

Looking down at her, Fang spoke softly. "Yeah."

"We have one of all of your people. Remember? The newspaper took one."

"Yeah."

"You still talk to them?"

"Not so much, no."

"You should."

"I know."

"I wish Ari was in the one I took."

"Take another. One with him in it. I don't mind."

"Some of those in there aren't just for documentation, you know. They look like Jeb just took them of us. In some of them…we're actually having fun. As much fun as there was to have, of course, but still fun."

Fang nodded again. "Even though we fought, Max…I liked today."

Keeping her eyes closed, she could almost picture the way that her and Fang looked right now. She took a mental picture that she would carrying around with her like Fang and his actually picture.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Me too."

Maybe frayed things weren't so bad…

* * *

><p>Max was making dinner a few nights later, which meant putting fish sticks in the oven when Fang came home with Ethan.<p>

"You guys are late," she said, noting the Bruce was with them and they all had ice cream. "How come you didn't bring me any?"

"You can't have any!" Ethan sat down at the table, his eyes red and puffy. "Elizabeth either!"

"Why?"

"You're girls," Fang said simply as he went to go sit next to his youngest. Not before picking up Ellie from her high chair, Max saw.

"What?"

Ethan sniffled. "Bruce got broken up with."

"I did not! We weren't dating."

"Still, you went on one and she didn't want you," his brother said. "Then I had to break up with Jessica. The ice cream's 'cause we're in mourning. Huh, Dad?"

Max gave Fang a look and he let her come and take the rest of his ice cream cone.

"Yeah." He took one last lick before giving it up to his girlfriend. At least he got to play with the baby.

"I'm sorry, boys," Max said, jumping onto the counter to eat her ice cream. "How do you know that the girl doesn't like you, Bruce?"

"She has another boyfriend. She was just using him," Ethan said, not even letting his brother speak.

"Shut up, Ethan!"

Max sighed, shaking her head a little. "What about you, Ethan?"

He laid his head down on the table, his cup of ice cream in front of him. He didn't like cones, which everyone thought was odd. Most kids his age loved them.

"Things just didn't work out," he mumbled.

"But why?" Max looked at Fang, but he just shook his head. It was Ethan's story to tell. Max looked at Bruce, but he didn't say anything either, which she was shocked about. Why didn't he want to rat out his brother like he had done him?

"They just didn't."

Fang smiled when Elizabeth patted his face. "Tell her, Ethan. It's not that bad…I guess."

Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head off the table and pushed his dark brown hair out of his eyes so that he could look his mother in the face.

"She said that she didn't like Toy Story."

* * *

><p><strong>That's it for Frayed. The next part should be up some time next week. <strong>


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